Wall To Wall
by PeeblesPls
Summary: If someone told Sakura five months ago that she'd be shacking up with five irrefutably gorgeous men, she would've laughed them to scorn then promptly knocked their lights out for making such a terrible joke. A month later and it's not so funny anymore. SakuraMulti.
1. Chapter 1

"Condemned?!" The gods had frowned upon her. She must've been a serial murderer in a passed life. This was too cruel for words. Was this real? Like was this real life? She must be dreaming, trapped in a nightmare! Does the pinching thing actually work because she's willing to give it a go?

"The place is infested with mold, miss. Unfit living conditions. It's not just that either. There's…" The guy just went on and on about all these health code violations and how her landlord was pretty much a dead man walking and oh! She needs to find a place to live! Like now. Like in the next 12 hours now.

"My chemistry test…" Yes, the fated Chem midterm of third year that screws over pretty much all potential med students. The exam takes place tomorrow morning and she's currently out of house and home.

Sakura was in a real pickle here. Where was she supposed to go? She lived alone. Her parents moved out of the city after she left and lived too far away for her to even think about commuting. Ino, her best friend, went to college in a different state. She has no close relatives. And money, ha! College students don't have money!

"Oh my god…wh-what do I do…?" Honest to god, she felt like crying. The tears were brimming, burning her eyes. One blink and the first of many would be in steady flow down her distraught face.

"Sakura?" A voice called, yanking her from her current bout with despair. She turned, eyes big and full of uncertainty, anxiety, you name it. Those same eyes drank in the figure of one Uchiha Sasuke. He looked like a sweaty mess, dressed in athletic wear with a basketball propped on his hip and a duffle bag dangling from his shoulder.

"S-Sasuke…" She mumbled, caught in a trance which she quickly snapped out of after that betraying tear slipped out and she noticed his face shift into that of a slightly concerned one.

Oh. God.

Why did it seem like she was always bawling in front of him?

"What's wrong? Did something happen?" He moved closer and soon was able to discern the situation at hand using his visual prowess. The condemned notice on the door. The trash bags labeled HARUNO lined up on the sidewalk. And the pristinely dressed, 'I shut down buildings for fun' health inspector chewing out the man he'd come to know as Sakura's landlord.

"Oh." He gathered that she was in a pretty desperate situation.

"Uh…y-you know, I just need a place to crash for like a…a day or two, no big deal! I'll just…stay at a motel or something!" She tried to remain positive, given the circumstances. Really, a motel was fine for the night. She'd pay her fee, dump all her stuff there, and just spend all day in the library until her exam. After that was done, she'd worry about finding a new place to live. Preferably one not covered in mold.

"Don't be stupid. You can crash at my place."

"W…What…?"

"…you're not staying at motel, Sakura. I'll call the loser and have him come help you move your stuff." His phone was already out and up to his ear. And he was talking, giving orders and she could hear the familiar boisterous voice of Naruto, screaming out obscenities and 'I'll be right there!' and that was that.

"Sasuke, are you sure? I mean, I don't want to be an—."

"Is this all your stuff?" He completely ignored her protests in favor of assessing the bags only to grab all he could carry with two hands then turned to her with a glance of expectancy. Like, I asked you something. Answer.

"Uh…yeah, that's all of it, I think…" She wasn't allowed back into the building, so she hoped that was everything that the mold hadn't touched, save for her furniture. Realizing that she couldn't argue with him on this, the pinkette just sighed and moved to grab a couple bags as well.

She wasn't sure what to think in the moments it took Naruto to pull up to the curb in his grey midsized ten-year-old sedan. Her body remain oddly still while her mind just seemed to race though her thoughts never strayed too far from depressing mantras all concerning that godforsaken chem exam.

"Oh god…" She groaned, easily crumbling to bent knees while hands buried themselves in limp pink locks cascading over her shoulder. She heard shifting beside her and assumed it was Sasuke but made no motion or reaction to his closeness. Especially since he just stood there, offering no words or comfort. Just his presence and awkward stoic stare because yes, she could feel him gazing holes into her back with his seemingly deep pools of black.

Her brow creased out of sheer frustration of the unknown. What was she supposed to do? Maybe it was because everything had happened so fast but for once, she experienced what could only be described as extreme disorientation. Like her brain couldn't seem to handle her raging thoughts. There was nothing to tie everything together. It was like a ship without a sail and a storm had blown in just at that moment to ravage her psyche, leaving it in complete disarray.

"Finally," Sasuke droned, retrieving the bag he'd previously sat down. He probably spotted the familiar car from a distance for she couldn't pick up the sound of that engine purring until moments later.

Naruto's car was clean, the opposite of his personal upkeep. But really, it was to be expected. He took pride in the vehicle, even bought it himself with nothing but cold hard cash. It wasn't anything to write home about, but it ran beautifully. Whoever the previous owners were obviously knew how to take care of the thing and this blond was more than happy to take it off their hands.

"So, what happened here, Sakura-chan?" After exchanging greetings with Sasuke, he approached the still crouched distraught female with a bent over posture, hands planted on his hips.

"We can talk in the car. C'mon Sakura." He'd pretty much loaded all of her things into Naruto's trunk sans the help of either of them and seemed pretty tiffed about it too. Though it was difficult to discern what of many things Sasuke was annoyed over.

"Hmm," the blond hummed before prying a hand from Sakura's hair only to heave her up from the sidewalk. He hadn't gotten a good look at her face yet, but he could sense her mood. And while it was nothing like her violent swings, it still worried him to see her so quiet. Almost like she'd been defeated.

And she had been.

The ride was quiet, save for the sound of the radio and Naruto's soft hums and constant finger tapping along the stirring wheel. Seated in the back seat, on Sasuke's side, Sakura pressed her head against the window and looked blandly at her blank phone screen. The device had long since lost battery life and sat in her hands, cold and lifeless.

Sighing silently did she chose to glare out at the passing scenery with an expression that looked to be a mixture of annoyed, frustrated, hungry, and mildly stressed. Under normal circumstances, she'd be burying her face in molecular structures and definitions of words that most people don't even know existed. Yet here she was, watching the cityscape zoom past with eyes too lazy to focus on much of anything.

"So…either one of you gonna tell me what happened?" They hadn't quite reached their destination yet. If Sakura had to guess, they were probably on their way to a taco bell or some kind of fast food eatery.

"What does it matter, Naruto?" The pinkette mumbled. Her tone was uncharacteristically sad causing Naruto to visibly flinch.

"Eh?"

"My life is over…"

"Sakura-chan..."

"Her apartment complex has been condemned."

"…ohhh! Did they finally crack down on that prostitution gig on the fourth floor?"

"They were no prostitutes in my build—!"

"Yes, there were." Both of them called, Sasuke even turned in his seat to stare at her as if he couldn't believe she didn't know.

"Are you fucking—goddddd, this is so bad…!" Again, with the hair pulling. She couldn't seem to cope any other way. As if things weren't already bad, now she finds out her building was not only mold infested but a prime location for paid sexual activities.

"So is that why or…?" Blame his sometimes overly curious nature but Naruto seemed very invested in this. Probably because it was Sakura. And Sakura meant the world to him.

"Mold. The building has mold. I…I don't know the specifics of the infestation, but it was enough for the entire building to be cleared out and with no warning whatsoever." Another sigh.

"Ah…" That answer seemed to sate him for the time being. "Well, don't worry Sakura-chan. We've got an extra room that you can use! Besides, this is kind of good."

"How is this good?!" She didn't really have the optimism to look on the bright side right now.

"Er…how do I put this…"

"Your apartment was shitty."

"Sasuke!"

"What? It's true. The building was old, the people were either drug addicts, prostitutes, or ex-convicts, and it was in a shitty part of town." If Sakura didn't know any better, she'd say Sasuke was actually concerned for her safety. Then again, he and Naruto had been trying, and failing, at convincing her to finally move. She thought it was odd and blatantly refused, both out of pride and for financial reasons.

"…well yeah…" Naruto couldn't really argue with any of that. Still, he would've definitely worded it differently.

"It was all I could afford…" But really, who was he to talk about the condition of her living space of the past six months. She'd gotten used to it! Addicts, prostitutes, criminals, whatever! Her neighbors were all nice people. And the rent was cheap enough! She felt the room to complain was too small to even bother.

"Doesn't matter now. You're out of there for good." Were Sasuke's last words before their conversation was cut short by him rolling down the window and calling out to someone. It took a moment for Sakura to notice but they weren't in front of a taco bell. No, they were at the police headquarters.

"Nii-san!" Sakura was quick to turn her attention, focusing it on the steps to the station where a male figure paused in his mounting to approach their parked car. Green eyes followed him right up until he was close enough to both hear coherently and touch.

It was Itachi, Sasuke's older brother. Decked out in a simple yet work appropriate three-piece suit with a gun holstered and properly concealed at his side, barely noticeable until he bent down to converse with his younger sibling, acknowledging both her and Naruto accordingly.

"What is it, Sasuke?" His voice was gentle yet carried underlying hints of concern for the Uchiha before. It was clear Sasuke now and forever had Itachi's undivided attention whenever he was called upon.

"Sakura's staying with us until she can find another place. Just wanted to run it by you." It wasn't even like Sasuke was asking. Leave it to the younger sibling to feel the most entitled and audacious.

"Ah, is that right? Well…" A mobile device suddenly chimed from his breast pocket, prompting him to investigate and eye the screen. He sucked his teeth at the name riddled across the screen and took a step back. "I have to take this. We can talk more later tonight. See you at home."

And just like that Naruto pulled back onto the main street, this time definitely heading to Taco Bell despite Sasuke's adamant protesting about them having plenty of food back at the house. Naruto wasn't hearing it, though. Probably because he knew one of Sakura's many guilty pleasures was a Baja Blast and cinnamon twists. She mused at how truly fortunate she was from that backseat to have to two of them as friends.

"Thanks, Naruto."

Soon enough that old faithful sedan pulled in the driveway beside a sleek black SUV. If Sakura remembered Correctly, it belonged to one of Sasuke's cousins. She didn't give it any more thought while trying to juggle carrying her things inside with a drink and bag of sweets in her hand.

"Okay, here's the deal. My chem exam is tomorrow morning and I need a quiet place to study."

"Itachi's room is sound proof!"

"Idiot, she can't stay in Itachi's room."

"Who can't stay in Itachi's room? Oh! Sakura-chan's here!"

* * *

**A/N: **Returning to my roots because I originally dropped this on Wattpad and it got no love at all so my feelings are hurt. ANYWAY. I wrote this about a year ago and I'm mostly wondering what sort of feedback I'll get. This will be my first SakuraMulti fanfiction (BMS doesn't count hehe). So give me your honest opinions please! i would greatly appreciate it.


	2. Chapter 2

If memory served, she asked for a QUIET place to study. Right? Those were her exact words. She has to wonder how she ended up in quite possibly the loudest room in the house. How did things get like this? Like what the actual—.

"Fuck. I can't concentrate like this, guys!" It was like they were competing to see who could be the loudest among the three of them. Three being Naruto, Sasuke, and Shisui. To make matters worse, they weren't even all in the same room. Each happened to be engaged in their own separate activity that was equally as noisy as the others.

First, Sakura started off in the kitchen, at the table. It had the most space for all her books and notes and flashcards and tablet. Then in comes Naruto, presumably to prepare a meal of some kind. What time was it? Surely, he couldn't be making dinner already. It was only half passed three!

"What the…where's the pasta? Oi! Sasuk—oops, sorry Sakura-chan…" Sakura ignored him. Or she tried to. However, Naruto's voice is not one so easily overlooked. Sasuke joined the mix soon after Naruto failed to locate the pasta he'd been slamming cabinets and doors opened and closed looking for.

Only to do the exact same thing.

"Idiot, where'd you put it?"

"Where I always do! On top of the fridge!"

"Who the hell puts pasta on top of the fridge?"

"Who the hell moves it?!" And their argument progressed on from there until Sasuke expertly located the pasta. It had fallen behind the fridge somehow. That prompted another disagreement which ended with Naruto agreeing to stop throwing things on top of the fridge and Sakura packing up her things to move to a different part of the house.

The den is where she dumped her things next. There wasn't as much room as the kitchen, but the couch was definitely more comfortable. She used the coffee table to spread out her things then got to work on her studies. It was peaceful enough, though she could still hear Naruto in the kitchen cooking up a storm in the distance, it wasn't as disruptive.

Until Shisui walked in.

"Nah, I'll be there in fifteen, I swear. Just gotta find my keys and…hold on. Yo, Sakura-chan. You see my keys?" Oh boy. Here we go again. Sakura looked up from her stack of flashcards and shook her head as if to say 'No I haven't now shut up.' To which he nodded, ended his phone conversation with a swift 'I'll call you back' and ransacked the den while on the hunt for his car eyes.

"You've gotta be kidding…"

"Yo Nards! You see my car keys?"

"…uhh. Nope. Check your pockets?"

"Yeah."

"Coffee table?"

"Oh wait, no. Sorry Saks, I'll be out of your hair in juuuuuust a sec…nope. Not there."

"Behind the fridge?"

"What…?"

"Never mind…"

"Shit. Where are my damn k—oh!" She'd little time to react to that look on his face that basically said forgive me later.

"Wha—Shisui!" He basically leapt on top of her with one arm jammed between the couch's cushions and the other wrapped around her waist. She would've beat him senseless with her chemistry text had she not been so flustered! Plus, he was heavy.

"Sorry sorry! Ah! Got 'em!" And arose victorious with his body still hovering over the pinkette, giving her ample room to jab him really quick in the lower abdomen.

"Oof! O-Ow…damn, S-Saks…" Took the wind out of him.

"Tch. Serves you right." Thus, she was packing up her things again. Not only because of his antics but because she distinctly remembered Naruto parking his car right behind Shisui and if Naruto could misplace pasta, he'd definitely misplace his keys.

So, she moved a third time, this time to probably the most unconventional place in the house.

The bathroom.

The peace surprisingly lasted for a while mostly because they assumed she may be having some issues with her bowels instead of the trying to make sense of some molecular structures.

Thirty minutes in and there was a hesitant knock on the door.

"Uh Sakura-chan? How much longer are you gonna be in there…?" Naruto called from the other side of the door. She. Was. So. Close.

"I don't know Naruto. It might be awhile…" Was her response, laced carefully in pain to make it more believable. She could hear him groaning and subsequently walking away. That…that actually worked? Heck yeah, she might actually get through this chapter after all—.

"Sakura, I know you're faking it."

"Fucking hell, Sasuke! I'm just trying to study in peace!"

"Come out of the bathroom before Naruto pisses on himself."

"I wasn't about to do that!"

"…Fine." For what felt like the umpteenth time, Sakura gathered up her belongings and begrudgingly opened the restroom door just to see Sasuke and be gently shoved out of the way by Naruto who may've been cradling his crotch. The shove all but launched Sakura right into Sasuke who was as solid as ever and hardly budged once she barreled into him. Her forehead fell right against his collarbone, a true testament to much taller her was than her.

"Idiot. Come on, follow me." Seemingly unfazed at by her basically nuzzling his upper body, Sasuke turned on his heel to lead her down the hallway toward what looked like a bedroom. She'd visited their place a handful of times but made it a point to stay away from their rooms. It just felt weird to be in them in her honest opinion.

"This is Itachi's room. You should be able to study just fine in here." But wait. Wasn't he against her being in here from the start?

"Are you sure it's okay for me to be in here?"

"Obviously it's not, Sakura. Otherwise I would've let you in here at the beginning."

"This sounds like suicide."

"Probably is."

"Should I be concerned about how okay you are with me dying?"

"I'm probably going to die too so what's the point?"

Annnnd the sigh. Well…this seems to be her only other option aside from calling an uber to take her to the library, which given the circumstances would've been a much better alternative. Oh well!

"As long as he knows this was your idea." And in she goes as he opened the door. It was like the gates of heaven had opened for her. Light spilled into the hallway, nearly blinding the pinkette as she captured a view of one of the most well put together, pristine rooms she'd ever seen. Everything was so neatly placed, clean, neat, spotless. Did he even sleep in here, she wondered?

"Wow…"

"I think it goes without saying that you shouldn't tou…Sakura? Are you listening?"

"Yeah, whatever. I gotta study." Blindly she shoved him back of the room and closed the door behind her with a satisfying click. Then she just stood in middle of the floor, basking in the silence and warmth of the setting sun filtering in through the curtains. This…was harmony.

About three hours in and she felt refreshed somehow. The aura in this room was magical! She didn't want to leave! How Itachi managed to get out of bed in the mornings must be a miracle!

Knock knock!

"Dinner's on the table if you're hungry!" Supposing she could use a break, Sakura dog eared the page in her notes and reluctantly left the room. And when she stopped out, she was glowing. Her skin was clear. Her crops were watered and growing. And it seemed like the prior events of the day had all but left her mind.

Knowing she didn't have a lot of time to waste, she made short work of dinner and scarfed down the noodles and stir fry Naruto had prepared then bolted back to the room to commence her tranquil studying.

About three hours later, she'd fallen asleep with her face pressed against her chem book, a flashcard stuck to her cheek and a small bit of drool escaping the corner of her lips. And that was exactly how Itachi found her when he came home from work that evening. Was this what Sasuke meant by Sakura staying with them? Because it wasn't what he had in mind…

"Hn…"

* * *

When Sakura woke the next morning, it wasn't at the desk with her head resting on her book as a pillow. It was in the softest bed she's ever slept on beneath a weighted blanket with her head basically cushioned by an actual cloud. She inhaled generously, instantly recalling the scent Itachi's room carried.

Wait.

Itachi's room?

"!" Honest to God, she'd never shot up from a bed so quickly. You'd think it was one fire the way she scrambled from atop the mattress and fell to the floor. How'd she end up on his bed? In his bed? Beneath his sheets? Was he…? No, he wasn't there, thank the heavens! Didn't even look like the other side of the bed was even slept in.

As she tried to gather her wits about her and calm down, a sticky note seemingly appeared out of nowhere, falling to her lap. She picked it up and read the neat handwriting aloud.

"Good luck on your exam. We'll talk when I get home. Itachi. Oh fuck…" Why did he sound so much like her father?!

"Gods, what time is it? Seven thirty. I'd better get going…" Sakura sprang up onto her feet, cleared Itachi's desk with one quick scoop and jammed all her belongings into her backpack. She rushed to another part of the house where the boys had deposited her trash bag collection of belongings, retrieved a clean pair of clothes, then beelined to the bathroom for a hot shower. Not bothering to wash her hair, she was out in record time with a toothbrush dangling from her lips as she rummaged in the kitchen for a quick breakfast. She was pleasantly surprised to find an apple sitting on the counter alongside a bunch of bananas.

"Good luck, Sak'ra-chan…" Muttered a voice from the couch. A quick investigation led her to Shisui who, for whatever reason smelled faintly of alcohol and was giving her a groggy thumbs up. What the heck, who gets drunk in the middle of the week…

"See you later, Shisui…" She then tiptoed out the door, closing it with a soft click only to come face to face with Sasuke as she stepped onto the porch. Must like yesterday, he was dressed in athletic gear, sweaty, and somewhat out of breath.

"You're leaving already?" He asked while prying an earbud out in favor of clearly hearing her response. She gave him a nod before stepping around him to head down the steps.

"Yeah, I want to get there early to get some last-minute studying in."

"You taking the bus?"

"Yeah?"

"Wait here."

"What? Sasu—." Annnd he was already gone. Seeing no other choice in the matter, Sakure idly ambled down the steps while reciting some notes in her head. It would help her remember when she took the exam. It ended up being a good use of her time seeing as Sasuke took about fifteen minutes to come back. From the looks of things, he'd showered, changed his clothes and had Shisui's keys.

"Let's go." With that, he brushed passed her, unlocking the doors with a quick click of the button on the remote. She blinked, clearly surprised by his actions.

"You really don't have to give me a ride." She commented after making herself comfy in the passenger's seat. He promptly ignored her comment before backing out of the driveway and heading toward the main road. They rode in silence for the most part, his eyes on the road and Sakura swiping through flashcards and mumbling the answers to herself. At some point she realized she had to say something to him.

"Thank you. For all the help yesterday and today. Honestly, I don't know what I would've done if you hadn't shown up when you did." She chuckled a bit, recalling that irrational idea she had about getting a motel for god knows how long and hauling herself up in the library until her exam.

"That's what friends are for, right?" It was odd. She knew they were friends, Sasuke and her. But she can't ever recall him actually saying those exact words before.

"Yeah…" She considered herself fortunate to have someone like Sasuke around. And Naruto. And Itachi.

Maybe even Shisui.

"Call me when your exam is over."

"You're not giving me another ride, Sasuke." She quickly rolled her eyes as she stepped out of the car, closing the door behind her. He scoffed and rolled down his window.

"Quit being unreasonable."

"Can't help it. Thanks for the lift."

"Whatever. Good luck." He was bid farewell with a wave and small smile before she ascended the steps toward the science department. Campus was very scarce given how early she'd arrived. The first set of classes were probably already in session and her test wasn't for another 45 minutes. That gave her enough time to study and even eat the apple she'd snagged earlier. And she had Sasuke to thank for the extra time.

"I'll have to get him a really good birthday present this year."

* * *

**A/N: **Another short chapter. I actually wrote this in one sitting so that's pretty exciting. What's also exciting is how much traffic this story has gotten in the short span of a week! It's certainly encouraging! Since a lot want me to continue, I'll be planning to drop a new chapter on Saturday's. Probably not every Saturday but we'll see! Also, any guesses on who the fifth housemate is? You'll find out next time!

Thanks for reading. Drop a review of you'd like!


	3. Chapter 3

_"Wait! You're actually staying at his house? At Sasuke's house? Sasuke, as in, Sasuke Uchiha? That Sasuke?!"_

"Yes, Ino. It's not like we know a ton of Sasuke's…" Sakura commented rather distractedly as she reached into her bag for a tube of chapstick. Only it seemed it was buried at the very bottom. Or maybe stuck between the pages of a textbook. She gave up for a moment, opting to sit on one of the many benches around the campus quad.

Her Chem exam ended about fifteen minutes ago. After getting over the initial shock of finally being finished, she just wandered around, grabbed herself some lunch since it was early afternoon by now, and called Ino.

_"Sakura…Sa-Ku-RA. You're being waaay too lax about this! It's SASUKE." _And she had no choice but to believe Ino was giving him way more emphasis that it deserved. She honestly didn't think it was that big of a deal. In fact, she didn't even want to stay as his house to begin with. However…well…she is and there's not much she can do about it at the moment.

"Maybe. I don't know Pig, it just sort of happened. He was there and offered and wouldn't take no for an answer—."

_"Typical Uchiha behavior. Pfft."_

"To make matters worse, his brother left me a note this morning saying how we'll talk tonight, and I would honestly rather take that chem exam again than do that."

_"His brother?! Itachi? Itachi Uchiha!?"_

"Ino, please stop that. It…Ino? What the—dead again…dammit! I need a new phone…" If memory served correct, her phone died again yesterday as well. Could there be a problem with the battery? Great, just add that to the list of things she needs to take care of along with finding a new place to live. The added stress is marvelous.

With no further classes for the rest of the day, Sakura decided to trek on back to her current abode. She chuckled to herself. Now she couldn't even call Sasuke if she wanted to. Oh well, taking the bus will be just fine. Luckily there's a stop fairly close to the Uchiha household. Shouldn't be too long of a walk to get there. In the meantime, she'll wait for the next one to arrive while skimming through the next chapter of chemistry.

"You've gotta be some kind of masochist, Sakura." Called a voice right as she turned a page. Judging by the lazy drawl, she guessed who it was being even peering up from her text.

"What makes you say that, Shikamaru?" Said genius plopped down beside her only to lean forward on his elbows and gaze at her from the corner of his eye with a smirk on his lips. A lazy one, go figure.

"That chemistry exam isn't even cold yet and you're already reading the next chapter. What the heck?" He gave her book a quick flick which prompted a pout from the pinkette who soon moved out of his reach, triggered a short chuckle.

"I just like to be prepared! What's so wrong with that?" He merely shrugged before leaning back with his arms raised up high, stretching out those arms only to bring them back down and fold them behind his head.

"Nothing, I guess. Just seems like you over prepare sometimes."

"Hah. School is about the only thing that kind of statement applies to…" If only she'd over prepared when it came to her living situation. As it stood, her old flat was cheaper enough to not care. Besides, it's not like she spent a ton of time there. Why spend a ton of time thinking about how crappy it actually was?

"So, you're really staying with them? What Naruto and Sasuke?"

"For now, yeah. My lease was almost up at that other place anyway. I guess it's fine. Say, do you know of any cheap apartments around here?" Maybe he'd know a thing or two about a thing or two. Going off his expression alone, she ventured to guess he either didn't of wouldn't have a suitable place in mind for her.

"No idea. You're not going to consider staying with them? At least until winter break?" It seemed like a viable solution to him. While he can't imagine the blond and Uchiha's are the best roommates, it's better than most situations.

"God, no. It would be too weird. Just…in general. Besides, four guys and one girl in a house together sounds like the title of a bad porno." He couldn't help that laugh he blurted out uncharacteristically just then. She had a good point.

"You're something else. Well, good luck. With finding a place and getting out of there once you do." He made a motion to stand when Sakura's voice stopped him, confusion laden in her tone.

"Wait, why would I need luck leaving? I'm sure they'd be happy to see me go." His brow creased. He couldn't believe she didn't know. Then again, she said so herself. Academics is about the only thing she overprepares for.

"You mean you really don't know—?"

"Ah, here comes my bus. Tell me later! Bye!" Sure, enough the big green Konoha U mode of transportation rolled up to the curb and Sakura boarded as soon as the doors parted. She bid Shikarmaru farewell with a wave once she found a seat. He could only return the gesture with a hopeless look for the girl on his face.

"They're not gonna let you go so easily."

* * *

At times, when unfortunate events take place, Sakura often wonders what in the hell kind of shitty person she must've been in a previous life? Is her luck really so terrible that she can't even catch a break for 24 hours? The apartment thing was bad enough, unexpected, and just completely life altering in the most basic way. Because she needed a place to live!

"Why…why is this happening to me?" She groaned while repeatedly hitting her head against the very much locked door of the house. The very same house whose patrons were nowhere to be found and with her cell phone dead there was absolutely no means of contacting any of them. She had no idea when any of them would be home.

Pit. Pit. Pat. Pit.

AND IT'S STARTING TO RAIN.

"Fuck. My. Life." Sakura let her messenger bag fall the ground as she stood beneath the small space of the awning over the porch. It wasn't much but at least it would keep the upper part of her body from getting drenched.

_'Think, Sakura! I could just go back to campus. But the next bus won't be around for another 30 minutes. And there's even less cover at that stop. I'll be soaked by the time it arrives. Then I'll catch a cold. Or worse! I could just wait for someone to get here…or I could try sneaking in through a window…'_

It was stupid. She knew it was stupid. Someone could catch her, call the cops, SHE'D BE BREAKING INTO THE HOUSE OF A FAMILY OF COPS.

Maybe jail won't be so ba—.

"Nonsense! They all know me! It'll be fine!" Is what she tried to tell herself. Which was true. Sasuke's family did all vaguely seem to at least know of her. Sasuke's family being his immediate household plus Shisui. Everyone else? Not so much.

As Sakura scoured the side of the house for a window, she went over the pros and cons of this particular act before stumbling upon one on the lower level that seemed to be the best option. It was sort of high off the ground and kind of tiny. She suddenly began to regret all those bagels she'd been eating over the past few weeks.

No matter! All she needs is something to give her a boost. A quick scan of her surroundings and she caught sight of what was very obviously a never been used before bird bath. Never been used in the sense that it was tucked behind some bushes and currently resting on its side. Perfect!

Sakura sat the bird bath upward on the most level spot she could find, took a deep breath, then hoisted herself up toward the window. At just the right height to push the window up and open, a few grunts escaped her as she got her hands in the right position and gave it a good shove. From there, she gripped the sill and slid in just fine until her hips got caught. There may have been some wiggling involved.

Okay…a lot of wiggling.

"Oh god…I-I'm stuck…fuck—." Amidst her struggle, she noticed something that was VERY alarming. The room itself was oddly warm…the kind of warmth one would feel after a shower…a shower that was still running…

She was in the bathroom.

A quick glance to the shower and she breathed a much-needed sigh of relief. No one was in there, thank god. But why was the shower still running? Honestly, there was no time to think about that because she was still stuck, and her butt was the one getting the shower at this point. Several grunts later, she managed to push herself forward just to land unceremoniously on the floor right as that bathroom door opened and in walked in a robe clad man with a wild mane of inky black hair and eyes that could pierce the soul.

She was in the bathroom. With Sasuke's uncle, Uchiha Madara.

"H'oh…?"

Jail sounds fine but dying sounds sooo much better…

Sakura can't be sure what sort of message Madara relayed to the other patrons of the house but they filed in within the hour, one right after the other. They all sat around the den area, each wearing various layers of apprehension and fear on their faces, save for Itachi who looked the same as always.

Though even she could tell he was tense.

Then Madara entered the room and Naruto stiffened out of the corner of her eye. She supposed aside from herself, he had the most to lose in the situation given that he wasn't an Uchiha. It made sense for him to be especially nervous. Sasuke didn't given any sort of bodily gesture that gave away is apparent mood. He just looked angry. And Shisui tried to play cool like he wasn't nervous but that minute the older man strolled passed him to sit in one of the armchairs, it looked like a shiver shot up his spine.

"Glad you all could make it. It has come to my attention that we have a new houseguest in the form of Haruno Sakura." He started and Sakura couldn't help but speak up for herself already. It felt like she was on trial.

"If I could just—." But he cut her a glance and she sank bank into the cushion of the couch, fingers tapping on her knees.

"Would anyone care to explain why I caught her climbing in through my bathroom window this afternoon?"

It sounded bad but somehow when he said it, it was 1000x worse. Like he had declared war on the entire world. Or just her. He'd declared war on her.

"Uncle," Sasuke was the first to speak up. Madara gave him a silence glance with a hand that gestured for him to continue. "I was the one that let Sakura stay here. She probably thought no one was home and assumed she was locked out. All of her things are here. That's why she slipped in through the window."

Sasuke coming through with his deductive reasoning skills is probably the best thing he's ever done for her and she won't soon forget it!

"Oh? Well Sakura, is that correct?" Finally, he's letting her talk.

"Yeah, I knocked on the door, but I guess it wasn't loud en—."

"You didn't think to call anyone?" Alright. That's the second time he's interrupted her. This isn't going to end well if he keeps that up. She hates being interrupted.

"My phone died, and my charger was—."

"Ah, I see. Still, breaking and entering is inexcusable. I'm sure you understand that." She could feel Naruto twitching beside mostly like due to how she was inwardly seething over the way this man was speaking to her. She cracked a fake smile as if to display that yes, she understood.

"Yes, I do. However, it wasn't my intent—."

"Whatever your intentions were, you still broke the—."

"Would you let me finish at least one sentence!? For Kami's sake! I mean, I get you like hearing the sound of you own voice but just one sentence!" The room grew deathly quiet and no one moved as all eyes were on the pink haired woman who'd just yelled at Uchiha Madara for doing what an Uchiha does best.

"Huh. So, this one's got some fire."

"…what?"

* * *

**A/N: **The fifth housemate is as **Kimiss** guessed, Madara! Stay tuned for the next chapter as Sakura's life with these five lovely gentlemen continues to develop.

Thank you for all the support! Remember to follow me on tumblr for updates! See you next week!


	4. Chapter 4

After much deliberation, which mostly included Madara and Itachi exchanging banter amongst each other while the other present patrons sat on their hands, twiddled their thumbs, or took in the scenery around the den area, they'd finally reached a decision.

"Given the nature of this situation, I can allow Sakura to stay here provided she pay her share of the rent and contribute to the upkeep of the house like everyone else." Madara was first to speak up, addressing the group as a whole with the overall decision. Sakura gauged the looks on the faces of Naruto and Sasuke. Needless to say, they seemed kind of conflicted.

Which made sense but at the same it didn't.

"It's really a temporary fix. I won't be here for long." But she was fine with the arrangement. It's not like she wasn't used to paying rent and buying groceries and cleaning up every once in a while. Besides, it might be kind of cool to have roommates! Even if they are all…guys. Okay, so maybe it won't be that cool. But it's fine! She just needs a place to sleep, really!

"So Uncs, what are you even doing here?" Now that the obvious tension had died down, Shisui felt comfortable enough to speak. And pretty much everyone was wondering what prompted this impromptu visit, Sakura included. As far as she knew, he hardly ever comes around.

"…that's none of your business." Came his rather hushed response. Hushed and somewhat pouty. Was he pouting? Sakura honestly had to do a double take because it didn't seem like something he would do. Could her eyes be deceiving her?

"Grandfather is at the main house. Isn't that right?" Ah, maybe not. Itachi spoke next, wearing a rather knowing grin. His tone denoted a certain amount of satisfaction that wasn't easy to ignore and Sakura suddenly felt caught between what could very possibly be her first Uchiha family squabble.

"Is this really happening?" She whispered to an unresponsive Naruto who'd checked out of the whole chat probably about 15 minutes ago, focusing on his phone where his fingers tapped methodically against the screen.

"Huh? Uhhh…is what happening?" He paused just long enough to reply but his answer didn't really make Sakura want to keep prodding him for answers. It didn't seem like he knew what was going on either.

"Hmm…"

"Ahh, did Izuna give you a heads up or something? Seriously, you and gramps are still mad at each other?" A chuckle fell from the lips of Shisui. There were degrees of various expressions ranging through the room that gave Sakura little hints to the nature of the situation at hand. Evidently, Madara, who travels a lot, rarely visits this house. And when he does, it's usually when his father is in town. Because there's some old bad blood between them.

"Tch. I said it was none of your business."

"I don't see how that's the case when you disrupt our way of living by showing up whenever he's in town." Sasuke was next to respond, crossing his arms with this ever-present frown on his features. It's no secret that he's never been particularly fond of his uncle, but this is the first time Sakura's ever seen him show it to his face.

"Why you little…this is my house. I can show up whenever I damn well please."

"Hn. Whatever."

"Cheeky little…" Madara released a huff of a growl and soon stood to his feet, as if to cross the length of the room, with every intention of walk away from the group. The conversation was over as far as he was concerned. There was no need to stick around. And Sasuke's eyes followed him as he moved, a hidden smirk building on his features before he turned to an unsuspecting Sakura.

"Watch this," he muttered smugly before he too stood, following his older relative while Sakura looked on with mild curiosity mixed with a twinge of dread.

"Before you go, I have a question." He started, stuffing his hands deep into his pockets while awaiting a response from the man. Madara turned with a quizzical gleam in his eyes, beckoning the boy to speak.

"What's the point in making Sakura pay rent?" Oh. God. She was mortified. How could he ask such a question? Her paying her share was fine! She was okay with it!

GOD SASUKE.

"It's the principle of the matter. Nothing in life is free. It's a common expectation to pay your way." Was his response. Which made very much sense to her and she really wished Sasuke would leave it at that but in her heart of hearts she knew he wouldn't and that curiosity was faded off into complete utter dread as the seconds ticked on.

"Hn. Just seems like you're greedy for money. Don't tell me you're broke." The room grew still and even Itachi looked up from what he'd been focused on just to crack something of a smile. It was like he could hear the stiffness in Madara's joints as they locked up.

"What…did you just say…?"

"He's gonna do it…" Shishui whispered, mildly shaking his head which prompted a look of confusion from the pinkette.

"Do what…?" Because she's definitely confused by this turn of events. He's gonna kick Sasuke out and throw her in as an accessory to his shenanigans or what?

"He's gonna flex on us all."

"Huh…?"

"Honestly, if that's the case then whate—." He was quick. Quicker than Sakura could've guessed for before Sasuke could finish, he had grabbed the younger male by the scruff of his shirt and yanked him forward, exuding this aura that had to be a mixture of anger and pride smoldering together.

"I'll show you who's broke. Sakura!" He bellowed.

"Y-Yeah?" Came her meek and somewhat terrified response.

"You're coming with me."

"What?!" Echoes of exclamations filled the room while she continued to sit on that same couch with this bewildered gleam in her eyes.

"Where…where are we going?" He really is kicking her out. Fucking Sasuke. That lousy big mouthed piece of sh—.

"I'm taking you out to buy furniture for your room. Which you may stay in as long as you like for free."

"…huh?"

"Told you he was gonna flex."

"Wait a minute! You're not taking Sakura-chan anywhere!" Naruto was next to chime in, pointing a stiff finger at Madara who gazed upon him with great disinterest, still holding Sasuke by his shirt collar.

"H'oh? And who's going to stop me?" Meanwhile Madara was indifferent toward the Uzuamki boy. Indifferent, annoyed, and a little intrigued by him for there was an amusing resemblance he bears to someone he knows quite well.

"Uh…" With his previous fire snuffed out, Naruto glanced about the room for some assistance. Shishui was pretty useless, given how he'd snuck next to Sakura and was showing her all the expensive things she should buy since it's on Madara's dime. That left Itachi who seemed ready to intervene as he imagined Sasuke might be feeling pretty awkward right about now.

"That's a very generous offer, Uncle. I do believe shopping with you may make Sakura uncomfortable, though." All eyes once again fell on the pinkette who really wished people would stop speaking for her. Though, in this instance, Itachi was right. The thought of going to a furniture store with Madara, just the two of them, really creeped her out.

"Oh? Is that true, Sakura?" And he surprised her with this genuinely concerned expression on his face.

"Ah…w-well," she stared, scratching her cheek and again wishing she could be anywhere but here. For crying out loud, she's still damp from climbing through that window and her bag is probably still outside the front door, getting soaked and she really wants to check the results of the test to see if she passed with a high enough score.

"It's not that you make me uncomfortable. I really can't accept an offer like that. It's too much. The furniture, I mean." She had to choose her words carefully. There's no way she'd pass up the chance to live rent free. She could definitely invest that money in something else.

"Nonsense. No tenant of mine will sleep on the floor. It will reflect poorly on me as a landlord. Now, I suggest you come along otherwise you'll have no right to complain about the items I pick out." Which honestly could mean a lot of different things and Sakura wasn't at all prepared to find any of that out.

"E-Eh?! But—But, Sakura-chan! You're not actually going, are you?!" Naruto piped up again, using that awful whining voice that's normally unbearable and today it's especially bad. Present feelings aside, she really didn't want to go but there wasn't much choice in the matter.

"Uhm…—."

"We'll all go." Another resolution from Itachi who Sakura noticed seemed very amused by the entire situation. A group outing to the furniture store didn't sound all that bad in theory. But the more Sakura thought about it, the more she began to dread all the possible outcomes.

"Yeah, then I'll treat us all to ramen after!"

"Ugh…"

"Ah yeah! I'm in!" Shishui's participation definitely ensured Naruto's and this set up was all Sasuke's idea so he's not getting out of going either. And of course, Madara won't send them off with his credit card. He might be arrogant, but he isn't a complete fool.

"Fine. We'll take Itachi's car. Let's go." Madara released Sasuke then had the nerve to dust off his hands before walking toward the front door to step outside.

"Whose bag is this? It's disgusting."

"….."

* * *

The trip to the store was fairly uneventful and Sakura was grateful for that. She and Naruto sat in the third row, chatting it up and trying to figure out just what the heck was up with this Uchiha bloodline while not drawing the attention of the rest of the group in the process. She could've sworn she saw Madara shooting her glances from the rearview mirror, though.

Soon they arrived, approaching the fairly sized store with every intention of finding Sakura a suitable bedroom set, courtesy of the eldest household member and landlord. She's still not sure how to feel about all this but she's definitely not complaining.

"Sakura pick out whatever you want. Don't let any of them influence your decision." Was his advice to her once they stepped inside. The place itself was spacious and held some of the finest craftsmanship she'd ever. All the woodwork was wonderfully constructed, so shiny, sturdy, contemporary.

"Wow, this place has some really nice pieces. How'd you find it?" She was honestly curious. Is this where most of the furniture in the house came from?

"An old friend of mine owns—."

"Madara! What brings you by?!"

"Speak of the devil…" The raven-haired male groaned though even Sakura could detect that smile at the corner of his lips. Soon the person arrived, clamping a hand down onto Madara's shoulder with a broad smile on his lips. He was tall, somewhat tan, with long chocolate locks falling down passed his shoulders.

"I didn't even know you were in town. Some friend you are…" The other male seemed to be obviously pouting and had no shame in showing it, a fact that Sakura found greatly contrasted his friend.

"I don't have to tell you everything. At any rate, this is Haruno Sakura, my newest tenant. We're furnishing her room." He explained while gesturing to the pinkette who'd finally gained the attention of this expressive male.

"Haruno? Ah!"

His eyes widened upon falling on Sakura before he suddenly clapping his hands upon both her shoulders, donning a smile of familiarity.

"You're one of Tsuna's students! I heard you aced her most difficult exam! Congratulations!"

He heard…what? That she…what?!

"I…I aced…? Really? H-How do you know?!" Anyone who even remotely knows Sakura knows that she takes her grades extremely seriously so grabbing this guy by the front of his shirt and basically shaking him for an answer in regard to her test is relatively normal.

"Crazed woman. This is Senju Hashirama, a relative of your instructor." Madara was quick to jump on, coaxing Sakura to release him despite the fact he didn't appear at all bothered by her quick hands. To be quite honest, he found it quite amusing, a fact that just made Madara roll his eyes.

"O-Oh! I see. It's a pleasure to meet you!" She greeted him cordially with a bow which he waved off with great nonchalance.

"Ahaha! The pleasure's all mine! She certainly is interesting." He…he's so loud. Sakura blinked back her surprise at such boisterous laughter but failed at keep that smile from creeping onto her face. Such a contagious personality. How has he not rubbed off on Madara, is what she wants to know.

"Aa. Have you put out any new pieces since I was here last?" Madara struck up another conversation while two seemed to be walking off in a direction where these pieces he mentioned might be. Hashirama granted Sakura a farewell wave while they waltzed off to the showroom, presumably.

A second or two passed before—

"YES! YESSSSSSS! YEAAAAAAH—."

"Oi! This isn't a stadium. Quiet down!" Sakura's celebration was promptly cut short by another tall, lean gentleman who had the nerve to grab her by the forearm and pin her in place with this piercing glare.

"Oh, I—."

"Let her go."

* * *

**A/N: **Sorry there was no chapter last week. There was so much going on! I had Exams to prepare for and it was Super Bowl Weekend! Anyway, I hope this chapter makes up for it! Can you guess who the mysterious tall, lean, gentleman is at the end?! Stick around for the next chapter!


	5. Chapter 5

_RECAP._

_Freezeframe._

"_YES! YESSSSSSS! YEAAAAAH—."_

_Yup, that's me. Haruno Sakura. Leaping for joy and shouting like a crazed person in the middle of a furniture store. In my defense, I'd just found out that I not only passed the most difficult chemistry exam known to man, I aced it._

_Fuck yeah._

_That's also me being grabbed, reprimanded, and scolded like a petulant child by a very tall, very handsome, very intimidating man with an expression that could literally suck the fun out of…well, anything. _

"_Oi! This isn't a stadium. Quiet down!"_

_And in comes Sasuke to my rescue for the second day in a row. I must've been a real bitch to him in a previous life because it seems like I'll be paying him back until I'm in the grave in this one._

"_Let her go."_

_PRESENT._

Well this was awkward, is all Sakura could think. On one hand, she'd been understandably yelled at by what had to be a staff member. And she wasn't exactly happy about it but it's not like he was in the wrong. Then again, he didn't have to grab her which is where Sasuke came in.

Though where the heck did he even come from?!

"Uhh…" Before she could voice her opinion on the matter, the other male had released her. Judging by the scowl on his face, it had nothing to do with Sasuke's command and everything to do with someone else calling his name.

"Tobirama-senpai! Oh, sorry. I didn't know you were with a customer…" The newly approaching male commented with a rather sheepish expression. He regarded the male with a sigh and proceeded to follow him. This was after he'd shot the two a nasty glare as if warning them about causing an unnecessary ruckus again.

"It's fine. What do you need, Yamato?"

Sakura watched him walk away before Sasuke grabbed her attention with a soft grunt as he turned on his heel to walk in the opposite direction. Seeing no other option, she followed alongside her friend while looking at the selection of pieces around them. They seemed to be in the living room section. It was full of couches and recliners.

"You know, I'm going to start calling you hero if you keep coming to my rescue." It was a joke. So obviously meant to be a joke but Sakura could've sworn she saw him freeze up and the tips of his ears turn red.

"Tch. Don't be stupid, Sakura. I wasn't saving you…" Was he…embarrassed? Sakura almost pulled an Ino and tossed this conversation into dramatic overload. The Sasuke Uchiha? Embarrassed?

"Uh huh. Then what do you call that back there?" Of course, she's going to push the envelope! It's way too interesting to drop, even if that's what he wants to do.

"…just pick out a bed or whatever so we can get out of here." He gave a huff and turned his face away from her, presumably to hide a blush which Sakura couldn't help but chuckle at in disbelief. In all the years they'd been friends, it's still a rare occurrence when he turns red.

"Right right…" She'd let it go. And maybe bring it up later. Whenever they're alone. Which she's just realizing isn't going to be all that often. Because where there's Sasuke, a certain blond is sure to follow. Speaking of blonds, where'd he—.

"Heads up!" A couch cushion soon came whizzing passed their heads. Ah, there's Naruto.

"Idiot! Don't go throwing around pillows. Tobirama's here!"

"EH?! Shit!" Naruto scrambled to retrieve the wayward cushion only to be halted by a figure looming above him. The three of them all looked up to see none other than they're old but gold high school teacher.

"Kakashi-sensei!" Two of them chorused while the aforementioned male greeted them with his usual casual wave and the creasing of his eyes.

"Yo. You guys aren't going to ever stop calling me sensei, are you?" He had to chuckle. They were still so young and energetic. He'd be lying if he said he didn't miss them.

"Nah, you'll always be sensei to us!" Naruto exclaimed, finally picking up the cushion just to toss it back to where it came from. Sakura bounded over to the male while Sasuke hung back a bit, hands stuffed in his pockets and gaze pointed off somewhere in the distance. Though he'd trained his ears to pick up their conversation.

"What brings you by here? Break another end table?" From the looks of the lamp presently tucked under his arm, he'd found what he came for.

"Ehh…well…" Naruto began, shooting Sakura a look as if wondering if he should tell. Her eyes spelled death so that was a definite no.

"We're just helping Sakura-chan pick out some new furniture for her room!" She's going to kill him. But it wasn't a lie! He just left out the part about the room being in their shared house, that's all. Kakashi doesn't need to know that part.

"Ah? That's oddly nice of you. Tell me, what'd you do this time?" He eased forward with a mischievous gleam in his eye and accusatory tone to his voice.

"What makes you think we did something?!" Naruto perked up, clearly offended by this assumption.

"Well, the only time you two seem to help Sakura with anything is when you've made her angry somehow." That's…

"That's not true!" Sakura chimed in as an automatic response. But now that he'd brought it up, she couldn't help but wonder if that was really true. And if it was, what had they done, if anything, that deserved all the help they'd been giving her? It made her wonder.

"Yeah! We're just good friends, that's all!"

Sasuke was silent and while that didn't strike her as odd, his fidgeting was definitely throwing up some red flags. Because Sasuke is a terrible liar and so freaking obvious, it's downright depressing. Her gaze narrowed at him as he seemed to be very pointedly avoiding acknowledging any of them. She knew for a fact there's not a couch on the planet that's so interesting, he'd stare at it that intently.

"Sasu—."

"Hey! It's Kakashi! What are you doing here?" Shisui strolled over with Itachi on his heels, in the midst of some conversation on the phone. So, it would seem her little interrogation would have to wait but she had a hunch her old pals were definitely buttering her up for some reason and she was going to find out what it was. She had Kakashi to blame for her current suspicions.

With the group before her currently caught in an impromptu reunion, that left Sakura to sneak away further into the store. It was pretty large and full of high-quality pieces of furniture, art, lighting, and even some flooring options. She'd heard about this place, but this was honestly her first time stepping inside.

"This looks nice." She happened upon a lightly stained bedroom set. The bed was queen sized and decorated contemporarily with throw pills and a blanket to give it a homier feel. There was a nightstand and a dresser to match. Honestly speaking, she could see herself getting used to an arrangement like this. All she would really need is a desk.

"Ah, so you've found one of our newest collections. You've got good taste." Hashirama had circled back around after showing Madara some fresh content. And it seemed he was even alone. Sakura bristled slightly, suddenly remembering how she basically came off as a maniac after shaking him like she did.

"Uhh yeah! It's really nice. Not too flashy or extravagant…" Came her rather nervous reply. If he's really a relative of Tsunade-sensei, she'd better play it cool around him.

"Oh? What else do you think? How about the spread? Does it catch your eye?" He pushed for more of her opinion which she honestly didn't mind giving. As Hashirama gestured toward the finely made bed, Sakura set atop the mattress and ran her hand over the covers.

"It's subtle. Kind of accents and compliments the room but also has its own uniqueness that doesn't distract you from everything else. It fits in pretty well with the overall…mmm…aura, I suppose? I think that's the word…"

"Huh. That's a very educated response. Do you have any experience in interior design, Haruno-san?" Eh? She perked up at that, gracing him with a muted wide eyed looked that basically said she was very caught off guard by his question.

"Me? Aha, not at all! I do sort of like this kind of thing, though." She gave a slight shrug only to jump at the presence of his hand on her shoulder. He was smiling at her. A smile that was kind and gentle but also heavy with expectancy. And she wasn't sure what to make of such an expression because she hardly knows the guy.

"How would you like to work here?"

"Eh?"

"We're hiring—OW!"

"What did we say about propositioning customers for jobs, anija?" It was…! The other guy! They're brothers?!

"But Tobirama…" The elder of the two whined while nursing what had to be a sore noggin as he'd been struck rather suddenly by a rolled-up catalog. A thick catalog. And Sakura could only look on with mild amusement for they were quite the pair.

"But nothing. I'm sure she didn't come here looking for work. I apologize on behalf of my brother if he offended you in anyway." He bowed politely before straightening and urging his brother to do the same. This kind of came as a surprise to her. The last thing she imagined either of them doing was saying sorry.

"Ah, it's alright. Not a big deal!"

"See? Say you'll at least consider it!" Hashirama's apology was full of crap, though. He was right back in her face about the job in no time.

"Anija!" And Tobirama was having none of it. His brother was promptly dragged away by the scuff of his shirt, therefore ending the conversation and leaving a somewhat disgruntled Sakura behind.

With a sigh, she fell back onto the bed and closed her eyes. What a day. First the exam, then sneaking into the house, then getting caught, then the group meeting and all the drama surrounding her being a tenant. Now this.

"Tired?" A single eye peeked open to catch the figure of Itachi towering over her slightly. Normally she would've moved but honestly, the mattress is really comfortable, and she is pretty tired, now that he mentioned it.

"Definitely." Came a gentle groan. He gave a soft huff and soon she felt the mattress shift with the presence of additional weight. Sakura chanced a glance at her side to catch him lying in a similar position beside her only he was on the opposite side of the bed.

"I hope my message didn't make you nervous. I merely intended to discuss your stay in regard to Madara's presence, or lack of. I'm sure you understand what I mean now." He started, gaze forward and focused on the ceiling. Sakura turned her face upward as well before responding.

"Yeah, I get the gist of it. I can still pay rent if that's—."

"Keep it. Now that his pride is on the line, he'll be offended if you give him anything at this point." Was that an amused chuckle she heard in his voice. Sakura looked over again, this time meeting his gaze as he'd chosen that exact moment to stare at her as well.

"That's…kind of stupid…"

"Aa." As their eyes locked, she found herself picking out things about Itachi she'd never noticed before. Like how soft and silky his hair looked or the specs of brown hidden deep within his eyes or how pale he was.

Then she felt her cheeks heat up at the sight of his lips upturning slightly and felt this urge to turn away, lest he start making fun of her. She wouldn't put it passed him.

"Uh…I like this set. We should get it. Where's Madara at anyway?" She sat up quite abruptly and Itachi followed suit, just to lean forward, elbows resting on his knees.

"Probably in the warehouse. I'll call him." He did just that and stood to his feet and walk around. Sakura remained seated and moved to pull out her own phone when she remembered it was dead. That's right, it went out when she was speaking to Ino.

"Heh, she's never going to believe what's going on now…"

* * *

**A/N: **Okay, I feel like the stage has finally been set. We'll start seeing more actions as the chapters roll on! Yes, it was Tobirama who grabbed Sakura. And we even got a cameo from Kakashi and Yamato! Sorry it's a day late. See you next time!


	6. Chapter 6

"Ow!"

"Gods, can you not blink for like two seconds?! I'm almost done!"

"You know I don't like things being close to my eyes, pig!"

"Just hold on…" At present, Sakura sat rather rigidly within Ino's bedroom as the blond worked a mascara wand up the pinkette's lashes. It was her hope to complete the finished look at long last so the two could get their evening started. What could be in store for the two college sophomores, you ask?

The Annual Black Friday Party, of course! Hosted by a group of infamous alumni known far and wide as the Akatsuki. Only certain folk receive an exclusive invitation. And, as Ino so emphatically expressed over the phone on her way home, this was definitely _**their**_ year. Sakura wasn't and still isn't so enthused. For a number of reasons.

"You never told me why you suddenly showed up here as soon as I got in, forehead. Spill! Why aren't you staying with the Uchiha?" Honestly, it's a wonder the elephant in the room wasn't addressed sooner. Sakura really just figured she'd keep quiet about it until Ino asked. Because Ino always asks.

"I'm mad at them. Well, Sasuke specifically, but they're all guilty by association." Was her pouty retort. And Ino could read through it as if she were looking through a glass window.

"Mad, huh? What did he do? I mean, it's Sasuke. It can't be that bad." She imagined it was probably a misunderstanding of some kind. Or Sasuke was probably too harsh which, now that she thought about it, couldn't be the case because he'd gotten rather soft with girls over the years. Soft in the sense that he doesn't wish death upon them anymore.

"Ohh pig, it's bad…"

_Flashback to sometime after midterms…_

"_You WHAT?!" Came the bellowing cry of Sakura as she released a mighty shout that traveled throughout most of the house despite all the patrons presently being in the same room. Those patrons happened to be Naruto, Sasuke, and Shisui. All who seemed to regard Sakura with various degrees of caution. Quel beast._

"_N-Now Sakura-chan, just calm do—!"_

"_Don't you tell me to calm down! Were you in on this?!" Her tirade was then directed at Naruto who quickly threw up his hands in defense, very much willing to throw his friend under the bus to save himself._

"_No! I had no idea! But…but is it really that bad…?"_

"_Listen to the idiot. I honestly think you're overreacting." Sasuke literally could've said anything else and Sakura would've been willing to hear him out to an extent. But once those words left his lips, she refused to hear him._

"_I'm overreacting?! You called the health department on my landlord! You got me evicted! During midterms!"_

"…_technically you weren't evicted—."_

"_Shut up, Shisui!"_

"_Shutting up."_

"_I was doing you a favor."_

"_I didn't ask you to!"_

"_Friends have to ask for favors now? Thanks for the heads up." He scoffed and rolled his eyes. It's apparent he saw absolutely no problem with what he did. And that's what made Sakura the angriest._

"_Don't give me that bull, Sasuke! You've never done anything like this unless I ask you to! And I—."_

"_You don't ask for favors, Sakura. You don't. You would've kept living in that shithole for the rest of the term. Hell, maybe even the rest of the year." Finally, she was starting to calm down. Enough to sort of rationalize while still being irrationally pissed off for some odd reason._

"_I was planning to move…"_

"_You've been saying that for months. Just admit that things are better this way. I don't get why you're so mad."_

"_Because! You…! You…"_

_Present day…_

"So, you just stormed out? Just like that? How embarrassing…"

"I know…I mean, now that I think about it, I was mad for a really petty reason. That still doesn't change the fact that he put me through an emotional rollercoaster! All of which could've been avoided if he'd just told me what he was doing!" Sakura continued to huff indignantly, holding fast to this stubborn position. That her anger was somewhat justified and Sasuke was wrong in at least one area.

"I don't know, forehead. You do have a problem with asking for help. It sounds like Sasuke was just doing what you wouldn't do yourself. I'm willing to bet he knew that if he asked you, you would've said no!"

"…"

"Your silence is extremely telling."

"Can we just go already?"

"Can we go—?! Sakura, we're not even dressed yet! One does not show up to the Black Friday Party any kind of way! Now, c'mon! I got some really cute outfits for close to nothing this morning!" Scattered across her bedroom were bags upon bags of clothing procured during the early hours of the day. For Ino is a firm believer in showing up at the mall for the best door busting deals on Black Friday.

"I definitely need something low cut. And you…something to show off those legs!"

"Whatever. Let's just hurry up. The sooner we get there, the sooner we can leave."

"Why are you so against partying?" After picking out their respective fits, purple thin strapped dress with a generous V down the middle and black booties for her while Sakura was given a maroon cropped turtle neck with the back out, dark washed skinny jeans paired with her favorite suede black boots that climb all the way up the thigh.

"It's not the partying as much as I'm not a fan of the company…" She never knew what to do with her hair. It had gotten to that long length again and this was usually the point that she would cut it. But it's gotten a lot chillier a lot faster, so she's been procrastinating the chop if only to save herself the trouble of buying another scarf.

"Who? The Akatsuki? Hmm. Well, you'd know them better than me." It didn't take Ino long to put herself together. And even shorter to fashion her updo into something more stylish. She curled her fringe and wrapped her pony into a cute messy bun. Accessorized with a few pieces of jewelry, grabbed her clutch bag stuffed with lipgloss and other beauty essentials then headed for the door.

"Unfortunately…" Sakura huffed after giving herself one last stare in the mirror. She just let the pink strands be after several attempts to get some kind of style. They merely laid sort of haphazardly upon her head in no particular style.

"Uber's here! Let's go!" As they two raced down the steps, Sakura began to develop a slowly swelling pit in her stomach. It's true, she was pretty well acquainted with the Akatsuki. In fact, she met most of them while they were still in college. She was a high school senior, taking dual credit classes and happened to bump into one of them. From there, they just wouldn't leave her alone.

She was hoping once they graduated, they'd be out of her hair. But some people stay in college forever, it seems.

* * *

"Yooo! Sakura-chan, un! Surprised you made it!" Meet Deidara. Recent graduate with a double major in modern sculpture art and pyrotechnics. He's mostly known for his rather radical approach to art and explosive behavior. Literally. He was nearly expelled for attempting to blow up a statue in the quad. His one saving grace is his talent.

"Sakura's here, huh? Get over here Pinky." Next is Sasori. The one who played a big role in Deidara not getting kicked out. Also, an art major though more so into fashion design with a minor in theater. Sasori carries himself rather stoically which makes him an odd match with Deidara. But the two seem to get along well enough.

Upon entering the spacious party house, owned by one of the Akatsuki members, Sakura was snatched right into the arms of the red head who regarded the girl with enough smugness to make her snarl. Such a reaction only encouraged more of this conceited demeanor of his, something that Sakura was used to ignoring. Which would've been easy had his hands not inched their way down the curve of her hip.

"You—!" She was about half a second from snatching his hand away and smacking him in the face with it when Deidara interfered just to pluck her out of the fashion major's arms and right into his chest. The motion was so startling she nearly gasped, resulting in a satisfied hum from the Ino look alike.

"Hands off, danna. Sakura-chan and I have a lot of catching up to do, un." He gave a soft hum before burying his nose in her shoulder, just to inhale the aroma of whatever perfume Ino tried to drown her in and faint whiffs of her shampoo. Sakura wasn't too happy with either of them getting so handsy with her, hence the present snarl and pressing need to free herself.

"Let go, Deidara! Gods, I can't even get through the door without you two pouncing on me!" She struggled to break free of his grasp, only pushing him to hold her much tighter with something of a pout to his tone.

"But Sakura-chaaaaaan! It's been months, un! Come on, I know you've missed me." That elbow to the chest was a sure sign that she'd definitely missed him. Missed knocking the wind out of him, that is. He'd no choice but to release her amid coughing to catch his breath and shooting Sasori threatening looks as he found the sight to be nothing short of hilarious.

"I need to find a corner to hide in." And that corner is where she planned to stay until the party was over or Ino got so plastered, she'd have to no choice but to carry her home like any devoted friend would. She made a point to keep an eye on the blond, making sure they didn't get too separated. The place might've been owned by one of the Akatsuki but a lot of people neither of them knew were present.

"Best to be careful…"

"Whoa, is that…Sakura! Glad you could make it!" A heavy hand clamped down on Sakura's shoulder and green eyes soon drank in the sight of a broad grin with matching eyes that seemed to gleam with mirth.

"Oh, Yahiko. Hey." The renowned leader of the Akatsuki's Ame chapter and graduate of political science with a minor in urban studies. So charismatic, passionate, and secretly prone to emotion, he's without a doubt one of Sakura's favorite members. He's down to earth, easy to get along with and doesn't get frisky with her. A true breath of fresh air.

"Thanks for the invitation."

"Pffft. You honestly don't need one. Konan really just wanted to show off her latest product." A jutted thumb gesturing to the approaching figure behind him gave Sakura a view of another pair of favorites. Konan and Nagato. The former was another art major though she doubled in marketing as well, focusing on origami and using her skills in those specific areas.

"You made those invitations?! They're so amazing, I should've known!" The design was so unique, innovative, and even environmentally friendly.

"You flatter me. It's nice to see you haven't changed, Sakura." The younger woman was regarded kindly with a gentle pat atop her pink locks. Konan's about the only person who could get away with petting Sakura's head without getting her hand bitten off.

"It's hard to imagine someone like Sakura would ever change." Nagato was soon to chime in, greeting the sophomore with a small smile and a polite nod. She'd never really gotten the chance to really mingle with Nagato, but she imagined he learned enough about her from the others.

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?" She cocked a playful brow before sharing a well-timed chuckle with them, seeming to enjoy their company for the time being. If this was how the rest of her evening would progress, surely, she wouldn't regret stopping by.

"Bitchin'! Sakura's here!"

"Oh no…hide me. Please?!" She'd recognize that surly profane loudmouth anywhere.

"You're not exactly the easiest person to hide…"

"Nagato…here Sakura, just head down that hallway. You'll get lost in the crowd before he can catch up to you. We'll keep him busy. Better yet, I'll get Kakuzu over here. He's late paying his membership dues anyway." Ah! Konan! Such an angel! Sakura bid the trio a hasty farewell before meandering her way through the mass of dancing bodies and sloshing drinks, hoping to get as far as away from her current pursuer as possible.

"Ah—!" Of course, she should've expected to run into some opposition in the process. Like something suddenly dragging her into…what was this, a closet? What the fu—.

"Finally, I thought I'd never fi…wait, Sakura-chan?"

"Shisui? What the heck! Why'd you pull me in here?! And what are you even doing here?"

"The hell kind of question is that? Wouldn't be a party without me!" Was that booze she smelled on his breath? The party hadn't even been in full swing for a full hour and she could tell he was already buzzed. From the looks of things, he'd mistakenly pulled her into what had to be some kind of coat closet.

"Whatever. I'm leaving." But as she turned with her hand on the doorknob, Shisui sort of boxed her in with his palm pressed to the doorframe while the other veered dangerously close to her hip.

"…wait a sec, maybe you can help me out. I was trying to get Rin but…whatever! Listen, I've had the worst headache for the past week and a half, and I've popped about every pill known to man, but nothing has worked. Got any advice?"

"Have you seen a doctor about it?" He grew silent, shooting Sakura a look that basically told her everything she needed to know. Part of her wanted to sigh, roll her eyes, and leave him in this godforsakenly small closet space.

"Go to the doctor, you idiot. If it's been over a week then it's probably something that needs medical attention."

"How did I know you'd say that…?" And when did she get so comfortable with calling him an idiot? He groaned and straightened himself out before running a hand through his curly mane. Sakura admired him for but a second before scoffing quietly to herself.

"And stop drinking so much. I'll see you around." And she left the closet without further incident, intent on disappearing in the crowd of bodies once more until a stiff arm reached around her shoulders, pulling her form flush against another chest belonging to quite possibly to most menacing figure in the building.

"Gotcha bitch!"

Hidan.

* * *

"And you're sure Sakura's going to be here?"

"That's what Ino said."

"We're going based on Ino's word? Fucking hell…"

"What? It's not like either of you had any other leads! Just come on!" Presently leading the pack of gentleman through the doors of the Akatsuki party, Naruto gave the crowd a quick scan before spotting that signature ponytail in the distance. Where Ino was, Sakura surely couldn't be far behind.

Only this wasn't Ino.

"Oh great, it's little brother. What, Itachi not around to tuck you in, un?" Deidara was quick to sneer at the younger Uchiha who regarded him with a heavy amount of disinterest, but it was enough to piss off the blond. He could never get a rise out of the kid. Ever.

"Where's Sakura-chan?" Naruto piped up, jumping in between the one-sided fight while Sasuke busied himself with looking around. Meanwhile the others they'd brought along with them began to disperse. Shikamaru took off toward the back patio, presumably to light up. Kiba found the drink area and decided to play bartender. While Sai aimed for the drunks whom he could insult without reservation.

"Hell if I know. Wouldn't tell you if I did, un." He threw back whatever was left in his drink then flagged Sasori down to get a refill. Naruto should've known talking to him would be a complete waste of time.

"At least we know she's here. I'll head toward the back. You hang around the drinks in case she turns up there." Naruto gave a mock salute as he was more than willing to play watch dog by the beer. Meanwhile Sasuke was in a no-nonsense kind of mood. He came here for one reason and one reason only. And that was to make up with Sakura and bring her back to the house on good terms.

Itachi's orders. Or threats. Yes, it was more like a threat. And Sasuke couldn't understand for the life of him why his brother had to get involved. It had very little to do with him, after all. The spat was between him and Sakura. No one else needed to butt in.

"Che." He scoffed, consistently dodging bodies, avoiding glances and cat calls until an unsuspecting arm wrapped around his shoulder.

"Aye Sasuke! Didn't expect ta see you here! What's up?!"

"Suigetsu. And Jugo?" Now that was a surprise. If these two were around, that meant a certain redhead would be fairly close by.

"Aa. I was told there would be animals. This is the last time I defer to Suigestu for anything."

"Hey, I said I was sorry, didn't I? Besides, you're having a good time! Kimimaro even showed up for ya! And he never goes anywhere!" Supposing he did make a somewhat valid point, Jugo remained silent. He then pointed his gaze at Sasuke who seemed to be preoccupied.

"Looking for someone?" he pondered aloud, gaining the attention of Suigetsu who also took notice of his wandering eyes.

"Have you seen Sakura recently?"

"Sakura-chan? Ehhh…I could've sworn I saw her gettin' hauled up to the second floor by Hidan—whoa! Sasuke, what gives?!" The younger Uchiha quickly removed himself from the grip of his water loving self-proclaimed friend, all in efforts to make a beeline for the steps. He'd had more than his fair share of run ins with Hidan and he definitely saw more than he needed to concerning his one-sided relationship with Sakura. If it could even be called that.

A hasty but smooth ascension up the steps to the second floor of the building had Sasuke weaving in and out of groups full of faces he either hardly recognized or didn't care to acknowledge if he did. There was only one place Hidan would take Sakura and that was the balcony, his preferred hang out area.

"You're not getting away this time, motherfucker. Sit your fine ass down and let's do this." He could hear his foul mouth from a mile away and definitely didn't like the direction his current conversation with Sakura was taking. Imagine his surprise when he pushed through the throng of nobodies to catch the two of them engaged in an arm-wrestling contest, of all things.

"….."

"Oi! Baby Uchiha! Come to watch this bitch get her ass handed to her—ouch! What the fuck!" That would be the sound of Sakura's free hand smacking Hidan upside his head. Much deserved.

"I told you not to call me that!" Sasuke didn't miss how Sakura barely acknowledged him. She was still mad, it seemed.

Great.

"Sakura, are you seriously about to arm wrestle this moron?"

"Fuck off, baby Uchiha!"

"It's better than the alternative." She flexed her fingers as if getting herself focused before closing her hand around her opponent's.

"Heh, I'm a wild ride you wouldn't survive. I get it."

"I'm going to kill you."

"That's hot." Annnnd Sakura slammed his hand down on the table, keeping the straightest face possible while simultaneously waiting for him to explode.

"YOU BIT—."

"Hidan, you piece of shit! Where are you!?" And that would be Kakuzu. The masked member rounded upon Hidan with a hand that instantly reached for the collar of his shirt, tugging him upward in a fairly threatening manner.

"The hell do you want?!"

"You haven't paid your membership fee!"

"I told you jackasses I ain't paying shit until Jashinism is made the official religion of the group!"

And that was Sakura's cue to get out of there while those two were heavily engaged in what could very easily be mistaken for a lover's spat. As she made a move to leave the balcony, Sasuke grabbed her by the wrist, pulling her back toward the steps. It took her a second to realize what was going on before she snatched her arm back.

"What are you doing?"

"What are _you_ doing? Are you really still mad at me?"

"…maybe…" Now poised at the stop of the stairs with Sasuke a few steps down, she folded her arms over her chest, refusing to stare at him. Hearing his sigh did nothing to alleviate her current frustration with him. In fact, it kind of irritated her.

"Can't you just…get over it? You're being ridiculous…"

"You know, I always knew you sucked at apologizing, but I had no idea you were this bad." He was losing his patience fighting this battle with her. It was bad enough Itachi basically forced him to make amends but did his brother have any idea how impossibly stubborn this girl is?

"Now, if you'll step aside, I'd like to try to find Ino. I knew coming here was a bad idea…" He'd already made up in his mind he wasn't going to let her pass so easily. He wasn't going to let her leave the party either. At least, not without forgiving him first. Who could've guessed that fate was actually on his side? Not even a second later, some drunken fool had bumped Sakura hard enough to send her falling forward, right into his chest.

Sasuke quickly latched an arm around her waist while the other secured his form on the stair's railing, keeping them both from taking a painful tumble. He had to admit, that was almost a pretty nasty accident, even got his blood pumping a bit. He chanced a glance at the head of pink currently resting against him and sighed quietly.

"…You alright?"

"Why'd you do it, Sasuke…?" Her voice was but a whisper, but he heard her loud and clear. And it took him a minute to fully understand where her question came from and the context behind it. He himself wondered what drove him to get involved. It was definitely out of character, that's for sure.

"Don't ask stupid questions, Sak…" When she lifted her head and stared at him with a look that basically said she wouldn't accept that as a valid answer, Sasuke bit back another sigh and suddenly wished he'd left her to her arm-wrestling tournament.

"Because…I…may have been…worried…" He turned, choosing to face in an entirely different direction. Just to avoid her eyes. Because Sakura very candidly wore her emotions on her face, specifically in those impossible to ignore pools of green. And sometimes those eyes did things to him he would rather not acknowledge.

"Worried? Why would you—?!"

"Will you just come back?" He knew she hated being interrupted and did so with the hope that her eyes would've shifted into something harboring frustration. Thus, he chanced a glance, inwardly relieved to see exasperation on her face in place of whatever was there before.

"…fine. I'll be there tomorrow." He couldn't tell if she was still angry at him or if she'd given up. And honestly, he'd rather not know at the moment. She agreed to come back and that's really all he cared about at the moment. His work was done.

"Hey, you found Sakura-chan! It—wait, why are you holding her like that? Get your hands off, bastard!"

His sighing was never ending, however.

* * *

**A/N: **And the wild ride is just beginning! This is only part one of the party. We'll be seeing part two fairly soon! I was kind of excited to write this chapter as it has so many new faces in it. And parties are always fun to write about. Anyway, I didn't get much feedback last time and it kind of bummed me out so drop a review pretty pretty please! I LOVE hearing from you guys. Makes my day!

See you next week!


	7. Chapter 7

By 1am the party was really in full swing. Music was blasting, games of beer pong were steadily growing rowdier and rowdier, someone had already landed on and broken a table, and Sakura had been over this scene about 30 minutes ago.

Which is why we find our fed up pinkette on the move, pushing her way through throngs of people, searching for Ino. Because a missing Ino in a place like this always spelled immediate disaster and one nasty headache.

"Ino! Ino!" She attempted to shout her name across the sea of drunken faces but to no avail. There's no way anyone could hear her let alone the one she was searching for. Giving up on that, Sakura pulled out her phone. Maybe a call—no, a text! She would text her!

"Hey…where…are you…" And send! Delivered…delivered…no bubble with three dots. And no indication that she'd even read it.

"Fucking hell…"

"Sakura-chan!" Looking up at the sound of her name, she spotted spikes of blonde locks before the sunny face of Naruto popped into her line of sight. She felt a smile brimming amidst her present frustration after seeing him.

"Naruto, have you seen Ino?" Maybe he would know. This might be an Akatsuki party but Naruto was still pretty popular here. Mostly because all the members hated his guts at one point yet he somehow managed to get on their good sides. It probably had something to do with odd relationship with Nagato but she doesn't really know much about it.

"Ino…? Uh…I think I saw her on the patio? Why? Don't tell me you're trying to leave!" He huffed, soon wrapping an arm around her shoulder to lead her back into where most of the bodies were dancing and dangerously close to one another. A sight that honestly made Sakura grimace because YIKES.

"You know parties are not my thing, Naruto. I'd rather be at home." She replied, flinching back from a particular pair of folks that had no sense of boundaries whatsoever.

"Yeah, I guess that's true. Still! You could at least _try_ to enjoy yourself!" No sooner then he'd said that had those idiots from earlier rammed right into her. Of course, with Naruto in front of her, she careened into his chest none too gracefully. Immediately she felt fingers latch around her arms as if to steady her form. Chancing a glance upward, her eyes locked on concerned pools of ocean blue, glistening softly under dimmed party lights.

"S-Sorry, that was an acci—."

"Oi! Watch where you're going!" In another series of blurred moments, Naruto had cradled her against his chest with one arm around her while the other shoved back at the person who'd run into Sakura so rudely. He clicked his teeth while the person drunkenly apologized then got back to dancing as if nothing happened.

"You alright, Sakura-chan?" Ohhhhhh shit. She was kind of at a loss for words, staring up at him with this bewildered expression. Evidently, she'd been staring for a while because she blinked at the sight of his hand waving in front of her face.

"C'mon, let's get some fresh air!" Before she knew it, they were outside on the back patio where, again, the party was raging like a wildfire. Music was blasting, bodies were moving, and she could've sworn she heard splashing. Oh right, there was a pool. There was a freaking pool and oh dear God Ino just jumped in with her clothes on.

"You've got to be kidding me…" All she could do was run her hand down her face watching that dreadfully familiar blond ponytail sink beneath the surface of the water with groves of people cheering her on. Yeah sure, it's fine for them to encourage this kind of thing. They're not the ones who have to drive home with a soaking wet drunk probably retching in the backseat.

"Well. What can you do, right?" Standing beside Naruto whose eyes drank in the sight before him, twinkling excitedly, Sakura began to wonder. What _could_ she do? Instead of grumbling and complaining and sulking about, maybe…maybe she could try to enjoy herself?

"Hey, let's get a drink." Honestly, she'd never seen him turn his head so quickly outside the involvement of ramen and the promise of it.

"Really? Hah, alright! Let's get a drink!" Once more he slung an arm around her shoulder and ushered her back inside. Luckily the drink table was still being manned by a somewhat tipsy Kiba who excitedly waved them over after expertly pouring a round of shots for a group of faceless individuals.

"Yo! I see ya found Sakura. Sup guys?" He gave them expectant looks. Like he was expecting Naruto to ask for a drink and for Sakura to complain about the smell, the taste, and his overall level of consumption.

"I want a drink."

Never in his wildest dreams did he ever imagine Sakura 'Prude is my middle name Haruno would ask for a drink. A. DRINK. So he just kinda…kept staring at her with this same gleam of expectancy that soon morphed into a 'what the fuck blink' because what the actual fuck?

"HAh?!" Eventually he snapped out of his stupor just to grant to two of them a rather unattractive sound coupled with an expression that displayed just how utterly shocked he was. Here he was under the impression that drinking was just something that Sakura doesn't do. Just like he doesn't associate with cats.

"Right? Crazy night, huh? Just give us a bottle of sake if there's one back there!" Naruto chimed up first taking the reins on this whole drink ordering thing. He figured Sakura is more than likely a lightweight. No need to make her first real drinking experience hell by filling her up with something strong like vodka or whiskey. Sake will do just the trick.

"Ehh…that's the stuff Tsunade-sensei keeps under her desk, isn't it? Are you sure—?" Uh oh. Her sense is rising to the surface. Can't have that!

"Ahh that granny's an alcoholic. Don't worry, Sakura-chan! This is…like wine! Yeah! You'll be fine even if you drink the whole bottle!" Something told Sakura that wasn't exactly the case and she suddenly wished she hadn't run her mouth so flippantly. Oh well…

"No turning back now." Naruto grinned cheekily before ushering the bottle into her tiny hands. She could be wrong, but this is usually something that is consumed by way of a small saucer and not straight from the spout.

"Bottoms up! Hey! Sakura's drinking tonight!" And suddenly shouts rang throughout the place right as Sakura brought the bottle to her lips and took a generous swallow. It tasted sweet and like a bad decision.

"W-Woooo!"

_Three hours later…_

"Ugh…S'ske slow down…"

"Idiot, the car isn't even moving anymore. I can't believe you got this drunk…"

As fate would have it, Sakura was most definitely a lightweight. And not the kind of drunk any of them expected her to be. After a few swigs of sake, she felt a sudden burst of energy, enough to keep up with Naruto of all people. By the end of the night, she'd consumed way more alcohol than she initially intended to.

Like way more. Like some crazy alcoholic. She saw more of Kiba than she ever intended to and at one point, he even turned her away. It's a mystery she managed to consume more after he cut her off. But yeah, she was plenty plastered. Hence her state of inebriation in the back seat of Sasuke's car. Making Sasuke designated driver for both Ino and Sakura. And let's not even talk about how he had to drag aforementioned blond out of said car just to basically ding-dong ditch her on her parent's front porch at 4 in the morning.

"M'sorry…" This left Sasuke on extended babysitting duty. After opening her car door, he hastily caught her body as she basically fell out of her seat and into his arms. Gods, she was a lot heavier than normal, probably because most of her weight was dead. And she wreaked. Was this some kind of roundabout way of punishing him for showing concern over her well-being? And people wonder why he's fluent in jackass. Being nice ain't worth it.

"Where's Naruto?" Sasuke stiffened, pausing in the driveway after hearing then spotting his older brother at the door. Here he was hoping to sneak in undetected. What the heck was he even doing awake anyway? He left the party early, didn't he?

"Went home with Kiba, I think. I thought you'd be asleep by now." He spoke, resuming his trek inside with a grumbling Sakura in his arms. Itachi stepped aside so the two could enter, his gaze pointedly pinned upon the red cheeked face of their newest housemate.

"I wanted to make sure you made it home safely." Aww. That was almost sweet. Sasuke couldn't help but roll his eyes while stepping inside just to dump the girl on the couch.

"Sakura drank?" It could be the darkness of the room, but he could've sworn Itachi gave him a look that basically said 'dude' without really saying it. That's a look mostly reserved for Shisui. Suffice to say he's kind of offended.

"Mmm…hehe…S'ske's a baby Uchiha…" Now he regrets carrying her in. Should've left her ass in the car.

"….yeah. Not sure how that happened but, if I had to guess, I think Naruto had something to do with it." Which was true. Of the few times they've gone out, Sakura has always been strictly against drinking. And who's the main one playing the part of the orange devil whispering in her ear, encouraging her to the opposite of what she wishes? You guessed it.

"I'll get a bucket."

"Aa."

* * *

Sakura wasn't sure if she was dreaming, hallucinating or just trippin. All images swirling behind closed lids few a myriad of flashes, strobe lights, and colors, gods there were so many colors just swirling together in what looked like—.

Vomit. She was vomiting. And in a very conveniently placed bucket no less. But still…vomiting. There goes that Thanksgiving meal!

Evidently the sound of her disgusting retching had reached the ears of the other houseguests, prompting the appearance of one Uchiha Itachi who's legs appeared in her immediate line of sight, over the edge of the bucket because she really couldn't bother lifting her gaze—was he wearing sweatpants?

She really _is_ hallucinating.

She'd only ever seen him in slacks. Assumed that was all he had, all he wore, all he knew. This is extremely shocking and a bit unsettling. Sort of like seeing your teacher outside of school. What's next? Jeans? Itachi in jeans?!

Oh, she's vomiting again.

"There's hangover soup on the stove." There's an angel in sweatpants standing in front of her.

"…urgh…what the fuck is happening…"

"Why'd you even drink that much anyway?" At some point during the day, after she cleaned herself up, Sasuke joined her on the couch of misery and shame with feet propped up on the coffee table and an arm draped along the back. She regarded him silently with a look of death that begged him to stop being so damn loud. And nosy.

He ignored that.

"Heck if I know. It just sort of…happened."

"You remember anything?" That was…a good question…

"…baby Uchiha."

"I hate you."

"That's not what you said last night. Heh, I remember that part very clearly. What was it you said? I was worried about you, Sakura." Really, the only highlight of this so far pretty shitty day was getting to tease Sasuke about kinda sorta openly expressing his feelings to her.

"I didn't say that."

"You basically did. I mean, I wasn't expecting you to say _that_ of all things, but I suppose it's fine in place of an apology." She could tell she was grating on his nerves. His silence can be very telling while not telling at all.

"You're so annoying." He uttered in the midst of Sakura taking smalls sips of the soup previously prepared by Itachi. She's never had hangover soup before, never had a reason to try it. But she's heard that it's a spicy.

"Mm…isn't this supposed to be spicy?" Sasuke sighed quietly before reaching for the remote. He spoke as the television blurred to life, airing some kind of murder mysterious marathon.

"Yeah but you don't like spicy food." It took him a minute to notice it. To notice how she paused mid sip and just…stared at his side profile with this astounded expression on her which. And when he finally noticed, he could only stare back if only to question her initial gleam.

"Angel in sweatpants..."

"…what?"

* * *

**A/N: **Guess who's baaaaaaaaack? Ahaha, that's right! Wall to Wall is back in action (for the time being)! This chapter took me awhile, and it's short buuuut another one is coming sooooonish. Stay tuned! Don't forget to review!


	8. Chapter 8

Generally speaking, Sakura would like to be happy. In fact, most, if not all, of her actions are centered on that goal. However, life seems to have different plans for her. Life or in other words, her housemates, are all hell bent on making sure her days are few and full of strife.

Soon after fall break, finals quickly approached. Being the studious academic she is, Sakura was more than prepared to brave the storm that is Finals Week. As such, time that would normally be spent cramming for tests was efficiently utilized in finding another place to live. Because as she so poignantly stated to Madara, her stay in the house was temporary.

And she meant that.

Now, you might ask, how in the world are her housemates torturing her in regard to this matter? And she would like to point back to a statement Shikamaru made to her before this entire fiasco began.

"_Well, good luck. With finding a place and getting out of there once you do." _

She finally understood what he meant by that. Not only did that fucking genius jinx her but he knew this would happen.

In short, they won't let her leave.

It all started with Shisui being obnoxiously loud every time she'd call a potential landlord. He'd make it so impossible to have a decent conversation. Then Madara caught on with his weird gift giving that was bordering on him basically being her sugar daddy. It was like he was incentivizing her into staying with money.

Fucking weirdo…

And Naruto, bless his heart, would throw away the daily paper as if anyone still reads that thing or posts ads about wanting possible tenants. And while she doesn't have any solid evidence of Itachi engaging in foul play, she knows he's playing a part in this somehow too. Because all her applications to other apartments have been rejected. Mysteriously rejected.

Surprisingly enough, Sasuke hasn't gotten involved at all. And she's pretty…concerned about that. It's his fault she's stuck here to begin with, and he even chased her down at a party and essentially begged her to stay in the only way Uchiha's know how.

What's his deal?

"Really, you should just give up, Saks." Another weekly conversation with Ino over the phone and over a hot bowl of miso soup. The temperature was dropping steadily these days. Christmas was right around the corner and while Sakura had never been a huge fan of the cold, it's always nice to warm up with soup and some light chemistry reading.

"I really shouldn't, Ino. I mean they're practically sustaining me, and it just feels weird…" She frowned, adjusting the phone between her cheek and shoulder. Her spoon picked at her still steaming soup as she flipped a page and awaited a response from her friend.

"What's wrong with that? You know, dozens of girls would _kill_ to be in your shoes. Just enjoy it while it lasts! If there's one thing I know about apartment living, it's that it sucks. You've got it made, Forehead…" Part of Sakura actually did agree with Ino. Recalling her time in the apartments, it did kind of suck. Sometimes the water would go cold in the middle of a shower. The lights would flicker. Her neighbors were rowdy. The list just goes on.

"Mm," she hummed, pausing on a paragraph that she'd read about three times now. "Maybe you're right…"

"Aren't I always? Ah! Sai is calling me. Gotta go!" Click! Oh. Well…that was nice.

Just as Sakura made a move to grab her phone, it slipped from her flimsy grasp and plopped right into her soup.

"Great…" Making quite the splash, it splattered on parts of her face and shirt, much to her dismay. Using a nearby napkin to clean her front, she failed to notice the presence of a hand extending a handkerchief in her direction.

"Hm?"

"Why do I get the feeling these kinds of things only happen to you?" Ah, a familiar face she didn't mind running into. Immediately her eyes fell upon a disheveled mane of red hair that for once was a sight for sore eyes.

"Probably because it's true. Thanks, Gaara." Taking the cloth, she dapped her clothes a bit before focusing on her impromptu lunch buddy.

"Aa. Studying?" He spotted that aged chemistry book littered with notes, highlights and post-it tabs.

"For next semester, yeah. Tsunade-sensei only gives one hard test and well, I passed that one. Finals are going to be pretty easy this time around." For that, she was thankful. Gaara seemed impressed with her response if his approving nod was any indication.

They lightly chatted for about an hour or so, carrying on casual conversation. With him being a political science major, they don't see each other often. But she hears enough about him from Naruto and vice versa that they're kinda sorta like good friends.

"Any plans for winter break?" Oh, that was a no brainer.

"Pffft. Yeah right, I never do anything over break. What about you?"

"Going back to Suna. You can come too, if you want. Since you're not doing anything." Did he…was this a…has she been set up? Geez, she really didn't think Gaara had it in him to deliver such a flawlessly executed invitation!

"Huh…winter break in Suna…I'll think about it!"

Then finals week rolled around and drained pretty much everyone to the brink of insanity that break really couldn't come soon enough. As students prepared to leave and head home or their various personal destinations, Sakura was packing for trip in warm, sunny Suna! Say goodbye to coats and scarves for the next couple of weeks. This girl is on vacation!

"How the hell did this happen…?"

Is what she wondered, currently seated beside a snoring Naruto in the back of Itachi's SUV driving up a lone road with the presence of snow steadily increasing as their trip continued.

Oh yeah, she remembered now. SOMEONE found out about her plans to go to Suna and proposed the whole house spend winter break at the Uchiha Family Ski lodge instead.

"Stop glaring at me, Sakura. This wasn't my idea." Sasuke could feel her pretty much leering daggers into the back of his head as he swiped through meaningless content on his tablet. And while this whole setup did sound familiar, he made it a point to meddle only once a year. This was definitely someone else's doing.

"Mmngrh….hah?! Nnn…" Naruto startled himself awake and quickly groaned before stretching his limbs and grimacing at the taste inside his mouth.

"We there yet?" He asked, letting his head rest on the middle seat where Shisui and Sasuke sat. He watched Itachi give him a side glance from the rearview mirror and grinned hopefully in response.

"Is your seatbelt on, Naruto?"

Pause.

Click!

"….it is now!"

"You mean to tell me you've been riding all this time without your seatbelt on?" Sasuke half turned with his brows furrowed and a slight smirk to his lips.

"You say that like you're surprised. Tch."

"Cops, Naruto. You're in a car full of cops."

"Oh…—."

"Uncle ain't a cop."

"Damn straight."

"Hn. We're about fifteen minutes away." Everyone seemed to outwardly sigh in utter relief after that. The car ride had been terribly long and after she and Naruto expended far too much time at the last rest stop, Madara yelled that they weren't taking another break until they arrived at the house. What a bit—.

So, there Sakura sat, arms crossed, and gaze focused on the outside ever-changing scenery of the world. As much as she would prefer to be working on her tan, part of her didn't mind the quiet ambiance of the mountains. Besides, she may just get a white Christmas. Which…didn't sound too terrible. It isn't her favorite holiday but that doesn't mean she can't at least _try_ to enjoy it.

Ino's words, not hers.

'_Since when did she become so optimistic?'_ Another sigh slipped from her lips as she turned her head just in time to catch Naruto staring at her side profile. His stiffening form prompted a raised brow which then triggered a rather sheepish, yet characteristic grin coupled with the subsequent scratching behind his head.

"What…?" She called, lowering her arms to her lap as she watched the blond sort of fidget beside her. Naruto frowned rather innocently before slouching back in his seat slightly, arms draped along the back.

"Mm? Oh, nothing. I uh was just thinking…uhh…your hair has gotten longer!" Both a smooth transition and keen observation. She can't help but believe that's not entirely true and that he may or may not be up to something she more than likely won't be happy about.

"Yeah so?"

"Sooo…long hair suits you. You're really pretty, Sakura-chan!" Definitely up to something.

"Ugh, I'm going to throw up." Came a chiding Sasuke from the middle row which prompted a quickly cautionary glare from Itachi.

"Not on my leather seats."

"What the hell kind of reaction is that, bastard?!" Naruto was quick to react adversely to Sasuke's response to him complimenting Sakura and with good reason! His arm extended just far enough to rudely shove his so-called best friend, earning a snarl from the youngest Uchiha and quizzical glance from the one seated beside him.

"Hmm? You don't think Saks is pretty, cousin?" The car suddenly grew quieter. Well…quieter than it had been for most of the ride. All ears were trained to hear Sasuke's response and Sakura found her leaning closer just to make sure she heard it clearly. Not that she's particularly interested or anything like that!

"I didn't say that."

"So, you think she's pretty."

"I didn't say that either."

"Make a definitive statement then." Shisui was really driving this conversation for some strange reason and Sakura couldn't really understand why.

"No." That response struck the curly haired Uchiha and even earned a glance from the commonly quiet Madara in the front seat. Naruto also stiffened while she could've sworn she heard a sigh come from the driver's seat.

Why did they all tense up, she wondered?

"It's not that hard! Watch." Shisui proceeded to turn to Sakura who served him a look of warning because she knew what he was about to do and she absolutely didn't want him to because what the heck that's totally embarrassing.

"Sakuuuuura-chan~." He purred, prompting a deeper glare which did nothing but encourage this behavior of his.

"Don't you dare."

"You're absolutely gorgeous! See? Now you try, Sasuke!"

"Oh my god…"

"I'm not saying that."

"Well, not in those exact words. You gotta put your own spin on it! Uncle, you try!"

"Don't!" Sakura was so adamantly against this sudden lesson on complimenting her that she was pretty sure she was going to be the one throwing up pretty soon.

"Hn?" He craned his head back to give Shisui a narrowed look before Sakura felt his gaze fall upon her and she rightfully jolted. Again, the car fell silent, half of them wondering if he actually would while the other half hoped he wouldn't.

"Sakura," she grimaced. This is insane. He's not…he's not going to do it, right? He won't!

"You're not bad looking." Oh.

_Oh._

"Hah?! You can do better than that!" Oh, was he quick to reprimand his efforts or lack there of in this case. Madara aimed a glare at his talkative nephew before showing a rather pronounced frown as if he found no fault with what he'd said.

"Shisui, shut the hell up." Spoken through gritted teeth though not quiet enough to not cause a raised brow to rise up on the face of the older male. Apparently, her response was somewhat telling concerning this compliment of his.

"What, do you believe you're too good for my kind words, Sakura?"

"W-What?! No, that's not—!"

"He's gonna flex again…"

A huff escaped him as he suddenly whipped out his phone, seemingly done entertaining the youth in the backseat. Itachi gave something of a snort before making a left turn up a winding road that turned into something of a steep incline.

"You did say to put your own spin on it, Shisui." Leave it to Itachi to play devil's advocate in this situation.

"Yeah but that spin sucked! It lacked…passion! Heart! True honesty! Itachi, show 'em how it's done!"

"Can I please object to this?!"

"Nope." This curly haired cheerful bastard better sleep with one eye open.

"A compliment for Sakura, huh?" Gods, why did he seem so amused by this?

"Hey, we're here!" Naruto shouted from the backseat and thank the heavens; he was actually correct. Their arrival was just the distraction Sakura needed to be freed from this present onslaught of unwanted compliments by her housemates. The timing honestly couldn't have been better.

One by one they clambered out of the car with Madara heading for the door to unlock it, Naruto making a quick snow angel, Shisui whining about having bad cell reception, while Sakura moved to the back of the car to grab her things.

As she grabbed onto the handle of her bag to give it a heft tug from the bottom of the pile, she heard the sound of feet crunching in the snow and could only wonder who was approaching her now.

"Sakura, you—."

"Sakura—."

Sasuke. And Itachi. Both of them now stood on either side of her sharing looks with each other then with her, one attempting to mask some present irritation while the other's gaze danced with mirth. She, on the other hand, was very obviously flustered and annoyed.

"I swear, if either one of you says anything even remotely resembling a compliment, I am going to scream loud enough to trigger an avalanche to bury us all!"

* * *

**A/N: **Woooooo! Winter break! Did a big time skip but I think it'll be fun to play around with them in a different setting! Also, they won't be alone in the mountains! I'll be bringing back a couple of characters while also introducing another group! Kudos to whoever can guess who our mysterious cameos will be! Also, yay Gaara!

See ya next time!


	9. Chapter 9

The view provided by the back patio of the lodge left Sakura utterly speechless. It was a breathtaking sight she could take in for hours. The freshly fallen snow coupled with the groves of evergreens as far as the eye could see with the mountains in the background. It was like living in a greeting card.

"You asshole! That's my snowboard!"

One of those obnoxious singing greeting cards.

At present, she, Naruto, and the Uchiha's had just finished unloading the car with all their luggage and personal affects needed for their extended stay within the Uchiha Family Lodge. This being Sakura's first time visiting the winter wonder land of a vacation home, and against her will at that, she couldn't help but feel a little excited about what's to come.

Provided she maintain her sanity long enough to enjoy everything the location had to offer.

"Sakura come with me. I'll show you to your room." Like a true gentleman, Itachi had equipped himself with her bags then gestured for her to follow him. With a brimming smile, she did just that before shooting one last glance at that back-patio view. That just might be where she spends most of her time during break.

The lodge itself was huge, probably big enough to hold the whole of the Uchiha Family and then some. Sakura ventured to guess it used to be in full use some years ago. Judging by the lack of black haired, dark eyed bodies brooding about, that wasn't so much the case anymore. The style was very contemporary and looked to be newly renovated with modern furniture, fresh appliances, and cool to neutral tones on the walls.

'_Wait…some of this furniture looks familiar…'_ she couldn't really put her finger on it but as she followed Itachi, she began to recognize most, if not all, of the pieces present within the home. It gave her a weird feeling.

Up a set of steps they went, stopping just outside the second door on the right side of the hall. Itachi fished a key from his pocket, unlocked the door then welcomed Sakura to take the first look inside. The room was decently sized and provided yet another lovely view of the outside world by way of a large sliding door that opened up to a small balcony overlooking the front yard.

In the middle of the room sat a queen-sized bed with tons of pillows that looked so soft, Sakura really had to restrain herself from burying her entire body into the massive mattress. There were all typical things within the room as well, nothing really worth noting, though.

"I'll leave your things here. This is your key. It's up to your discretion whether you wish to use it or not. If you would like my advice, I would encourage you to do so." Okay.

What the heck.

"Huh? What are you trying to say, Itachi?" She quirked a brow and rightfully so because…seriously, what does that mean?

"I think you know."

"If any of those idiots tries to come in my room, I'll make them wish they'd stayed at home!" Her fist rose and shook as if to prematurely threatened said idiots who the two of them were referring to. Itachi merely smiled knowingly, took her hand, and placed the key in her palm before closing her fingers around it.

"Just a precautionary measure." With a narrowed gaze, she watched him depart from the room then averted her eyes to the key. Quietly, she wondered just what he was getting at with this off the wall gesture.

"Oh well. Whatever." Deciding to shrug it off, the pinkette focused on unpacking her belongings. Winter break being one of the longer ones, she'd packed for almost three weeks. Gods, three weeks with the Uchiha plus Naruto normally wouldn't sound so bad seeing as she's been living with them since Thanksgiving. But they're in vacation mode so God only knows how off the chain they'll be.

"At least it'll just be us here—." Just as she'd began to hang her clothing up in the closet, a sudden commotion grabbed her attention. The sound of voices. Not so familiar voices. Not so familiar voices growing louder and louder as the seconds ticked by.

That…didn't sound good.

Of course, her curiosity got the better of her, prompting a quick trip down the hall and toward the steps. She heard them before she saw them. Them being the Senju brothers, plus one. Ah! The furniture! That's where she remembered seeing it. But wait, what were they doing here?! Was Tsunade also with them?!

"Oh! Sakura! Nice to see you again!" Hashirama was the first to notice her, promptly abandoning his conversation with Madara, much to the other's chagrin, to happily greet her with a hearty pat on the shoulder. She smiled rather uneasily but seemed amicable for the most part toward him.

Tobirama wasn't far behind him, regarding her with his usual scowl but what could kind of sort of be interpreted as a polite nod. She simply waved in response before her eyes fell on that of their third companion. It certainly wasn't Tsunade nor was it anyone she'd been previously introduced to prior to today.

He was tall, about Hashirama's height, with short spiky brown hair, dark beady like eyes, a strong jawline but an overall kind disposition. Much like her, he scanned the overall space with obvious excitement in his gaze before those eyes landed on her. She jolted suddenly, feeling on the spot for some reason until he grinned, and she felt like her legs were pretzel sticks. Very flimsy and about to snap.

"Here, come meet a distant relative of ours. Sakura, this is Ashura!" Hashirama ushered her forward with a guiding hand at the small of her back. And Sakura stumbled forward a bit unceremoniously, finding herself standing nearly toe to toe with him and geez he was nearly a whole foot taller than her.

"Nice to meet you, Sakura! You know, you don't look like a typical Uchiha." His brow furrowed as he began to get a really good look at her. A nervous laugh left her lips as she resisted the urge to roll her eyes.

"That's because she isn't." Tobirama added his two cents next, choosing to stand at her side, serious and stoic as ever.

"Oh? You aren't? Then what brings you—!" He would've finished his sentence had a large body not barreled into him, sending him careening forward with a nice thud. Sakura barely caught a flash of blond before a quick hand expertly moved her from harm's way.

"Che. Idiots." Tobirama snarled down at the two currently sprawled on the floor before released his hold on the pinkette who definitely appeared a bit out of sorts.

"Ashura! Hah, what the hell are you doing here?!" It was Nartuo who'd tackled this new face, one who seemed to welcome the somewhat friendly gesture and returned it by locking the boisterous blond guy in some kind of sleeper hold.

"Someone has to keep a knucklehead like you in line!" He quickly retorted, rubbing his knuckles against the top of Naruto's head. Sakura found herself smiling while resisting a laugh. Naruto was almost always with Sasuke, so it was rare to see him interact with others in such a refreshing, playful manner.

"Nah, that's Sakura-chan's job! You've been fired!" After managing to free himself from the hold, he shot up just to wrap an arm around the pinkette's shoulder and thus her smile turned into something of a half frown as she jabbed Naruto's side in an area she knew was plenty ticklish.

"I don't get paid enough for a job like that." Came her playful retort followed by a slight pout from Naruto and a chuckle from Ashura.

"Haha, I see. Well, we'll just have to see who does a better job, won't we?" The male then picked himself up from the ground just to fix his clothes and smoothly send a wink Sakura's way and did a chill enter the room? She felt a shiver crawl up her spine before the protective arms of Naruto moved her to stand behind him.

"Don't you get any ideas, ya old perv!"

"O-Old perv? I'm not old!"

"But you admit to being a perv." Another side comment from Tobirama who, for whatever reason, couldn't resist being present within this host of idiots if only to get in a jab or two. It builds character, so he says.

"Uh well, th-that's…—!" And suddenly Sakura had mixed feelings about this newcomer if the long judgmental stare she gave him was any indication. He evidently felt this and quickly tried to defend himself. Ah, but it was too late. She learned to defer to Naruto's advice when it comes to pointing out perverts. He's got a real knack for it, after all.

Ashura soon hung his head in defeat, just in time for the sound of Madara's sigh to grab all of their attention. Because it was loud and dramatic and extra. Just like him. But what could've prompted such a sigh, you might ask? Why, more bodies entering the lodge.

It wasn't another member of the Senju, however, no. It appeared to be a pair of Uchiha. One clearly happy to be present and another who looked to be the physical embodiment of 'If looks could kill.'

"Nii-san!" The more pleasant one rushed through the door just to bound over to the wildly maned Uchiha who..was..—did he smile?! Sakura nearly fell over trying to get a good look at him from behind Naruto's back. So much that she poked him again so he'd move. As quickly as it came, that smile vanished like Sakura's small hopes of having a peaceful break once all these bodies started showing up.

With Madara showing minimal but obvious signs of being pleased with his brother, that sigh must've been directed at the other body pointedly poised and scowling deeper than Tobirama by the door.

He, too, was tall. A bit lanky but definitely fit. Had a long mane of dark hair pulled back into a low ponytail that reached to about his mind back with wild bangs framing his face. And what a face. Was he wearing eyeliner? Gosh, these Uchiha and their good looks. God only knows how Sakura is able to keep her composure around such eye candy.

"What are you doing here, Indra?"

"I fail to see how that's any of your business, little cousin."

"Little!?" Oh. Had…had she said that out loud? Evidently because all eyes were on her now and she suddenly wished Naruto hadn't moved when she poked him. Curse him for being so ticklish. But seriously, could anyone really blame her? Hearing someone call Madara little was…just…the last thing she expected to hear.

"Who's this?" Having grabbed the attention of yet another male in the room, Sakura found herself inwardly shrinking back a bit. Because if he could call Madara little and get away with it, then he's probably not someone she wants to be on the bad side of.

"A friend of mine." Oh. Thank. Gods. For. Sasuke. Wait, when did he get here? Seeming to accept that response, Indra kind of sort of backed off but still fed her a curious look that was so cool she felt another shiver ease up her spine.

"A friend, huh? Hn." And just like that, the curiosity was gone as he moved on in favor of collecting his things, presumably to go to his room.

Seeing no point in standing around any further, the rest followed suit with bags in hand, heading to their designated areas.

"That was nuts, you know? These two families are nuts." Sakura remarked in passing just for Naruto and Sasuke to agree whole heartedly.

* * *

The next hour or so carried on without incident which each taking care to unpack and get settled. As it stood, the Uchiha's all stayed on the first floor while the Senju plus Naruto and Sakura were situated on the second. Her room was between Naruto and Tobirama, a set up she was mostly happy with. Especially after learning that Ashura was something of a in denial perv. She'll be keeping an eye on him.

"Yo, Sakura-chan," Naruto called from her doorway. She'd just finished setting up her things in the restroom when she spotted his head.

"Me and the bastard are gonna go into town. Wanna come?" She noticed he was fully decked out in his winter gear. With a soft hum, she gave a shrug and agreed. It was still plenty light out, they had time to do some exploring around.

"Sure, just wait for me to get my stuff on." He shot her a thumbs up then meandered down the hall with Sakura secretly listening for his footfalls.

As promised, she donned her coat, hat, gloves, and scarf then made a move to reach for her boots when the presence of a body in the doorway snatched her attention. Her brain immediately assumed Naruto but her eyes revealed otherwise.

Why was Indra in her doorway? And why was he looking at her like that?

"You're a friend of Sasuke. Funny, he's only ever brought the Uzumaki boy around. He rarely speaks of anyone else." Indra spoke evenly with hints of what sounded like skepticism in his voice.

"Oh? I'm not surprised he's never mentioned me. He's never been much of a t…talker…" Okay. He's in her room. Staring—no, LEERING at her.

"Aa. You seem close enough, though. I can't help but wonder what makes you special enough to have his attention." Okaaaay. He's in her room. LEERING at her. And moving closer!

"Special? I don't think I—." She froze. And what the heck, was time standing still? Or moving slowly? Because it sure felt like she was watching him move in slow motion as he lifted a hand, fingertips loosely running through her hair.

"Perhaps I'll find out during this stay, Sakura." Then time picked back up again. And he was gone. And she was left standing in her room, wide eyed, stunned, and red in the face.

'_I gotta get out of here.'_

**A/N: **Dun dun DUNNNNNN! We've got new faces! Ashura and Indra annnnd a little Izuna! This will make for a very interesting winter break! Hope you enjoyed this chapter! Drop a review! Thanks!


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